Timeless Wisdom: MLK Day Highlight

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Welcome to Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Hear thousands of hours of Dennis's lectures, courses, and classic radio programs. And to purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bibles, go to DennisPrager.com.

In the water, children, wait. In the water, God's gonna trouble the water. I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream. One of the great speeches in American history. But by the content of their character. I have a dream today.

Welcome to the Dennis Prager Show, and this is Martin Luther King Day. As you know, it is my policy to honor the national holidays, otherwise they shouldn't be a national holiday. I affirm that this ought to be a national holiday. I believe, I have believed my whole life, that Martin Luther King Jr., among other things, prevented racial violence in this country. For that alone, he has a very special place in heaven. And I don't think that there is a way to deny that. And he was an orator of the first order. I mean, truly one of the great orators. I wish we had recordings of all the great orators in history, and certainly in American history, but obviously recording is relatively brand new. Mechanical device. But happily we have that speech and so many others. You read them, they last. That's the greatness of them, they last. And it's very interesting, though not always emphasized, how rooted he was in his Americanism and in his Christianity. It's now everybody's Dr. King, Dr. King, Dr. King, Dr. King, right? It's always Dr. King. Believe me, he didn't think of himself as Dr. King. Thought of himself as Reverend King. It's a fascinating switch because he was not known as Dr. King at the time because the American public had not yet been taken over by the secular left that finds religion useless at best and dangerous at worst. And he was completely rooted in his Christianity. So many of his speeches were God-soaked and Christianity-soaked. But we have truly Photoshopped history here with Dr. King. I know there is a great joke that occurred in— that was told in Jewish life. There was a time until, again, the same thing happened. Where rabbis were known as rabbis, just as Reverend King was known as Reverend King. This is Rabbi So-and-so, Rabbi So-and-so, Rabbi So-and-so. Then within a generation, it was Dr. So-and-so Rabbi, Dr. So-and-so Rabbi, and sometimes just Dr. So-and-so. And there was a joke told when the rabbis became doctors The Jews got sick. A great, great line. When rabbis became doctors, Jews got sick. When Martin Luther King, when the Reverend became a doctor, America got sick. I respect completely people who've gotten doctorates. There is a tremendous amount of work involved in getting any doctorate. I know that. I, I acknowledge it and I respect it. But in comparison to the good done by rabbis, priests, and ministers versus PhDs— excuse me— there's no comparison. The founder of the institute that I came out to California in 1976 my 20s to direct. He was 50 years older than I. I was 26, he was 76. Actually, I was 24 when I came out first. He was 74. And he had a thick Russian accent. He was a Russian Jewish immigrant. And he would say regularly in his speeches, you know, it is very possible to be a PhD and an SOB. It was— and he had— and he was Dr. Bardeen. I mean, so he— and so, uh, forgive me for referring to him as the Reverend King. I don't really give a hoot if he got a PhD. I'm sure, sure it was a sweet day for him, but it's not what animated him. He did not do what he did because of his PhD. He did what he did because he was a reverend. This is all lost, all lost in the way things are taught today and the emphasis on this whole notion of doctor. Anyway, a good day to you. I, I marvel on a day like this, and it's a totally separate issue, I marvel at the lack of traffic On the freeways, as we call them in Southern California and Northern California for that matter, on the freeway today we just zoomed. Uh, all of us who were on the roads just zoomed. It was, it was great. And of course, it could only mean one thing. The number of government workers is astonishing, right? Everybody else is working. The restaurants are open, doctors are seeing patients. Uh, people are having business meetings. It's banks— I mean, it's not bankers, okay? The reason for the lack of traffic is not bankers and bank tellers, it's government workers. And, and it— and not police and not, and not firemen. They're, they're at work as always. So we're talking about— it just gives you an idea of the vastness of the numbers of people who work for the government, and that is this desire of the Democrats to increase that number. And it has been— it's the only thing that's been increased. The only employment that's been increased under Barack Obama has been federal workers. It's unbelievable to have increased the number during this recession. It's unbelievable to increase the number without a recession. But remember something, it's a bought vote. Please understand that it is as close to handing people cash for voting for a party as you can get. Vote for our party, we will give you money and give you a federal or state or municipal job. That's it. So the Democrats have not only no— they have no philosophical and they have no selfish incentive to decrease the number of government employees. None. It only hurts them. They're not interested in prosperity, they're interested in equality. So you could say, well, but everybody knows that the more people employed in the private sector, the better it is for the economy. But it's irrelevant. It's like telling somebody on the equator how to shovel snow. They're not interested. The left is as interested in prosperity as people at the equator are in snow shovels. There's one for you. And I mean it literally. The left has never been interested in prosperity, nor has it ever brought it about. The left is interested in material equality. I've said this often. I will say it often because it applies regularly. So the freeways are empty today, relatively so, because of all the government workers. You think we need them all? Now I hate to say this because I don't want anybody listening or even not listening to lose a job. It bothers me terribly. So we're in a terrible quagmire here of constant hiring, and then our hearts break at anybody being let go. But at some point, my friends, you just— we cannot sustain this, this number. 1-800-PRAGER-776, The Dennis Prager Show.

This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this.

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Now back to more of Dennis Prager's timeless wisdom.

Hi everybody, Dennis Prager. I was marveling after speaking about Martin Luther King Day, and I will continue because I take national holidays seriously, as you know. I was talking about the relative lack of traffic, which can only mean how only mean one thing: the number of government workers is quite, quite high. If nothing else, at least allow the attrition rate to reduce the numbers. Just don't rehire as people leave jobs. But you see, it's all a bit of a vicious cycle because the less money you allow the private sector, the less hiring will take place in the private sector. If taxes weren't as high as they are, I would be hiring people, and I don't even run a business. But there's always things that I would love to do, but it's confiscatory. Between California and the state and all the other taxes, we are taxed, and many are, anybody over $200,000 a person is taxed at a 50% rate. 50. It's really more than 50. And there's going to be a proposition put up by the governor of California to co-temporarily— I always get a kick out of that— a temporary tax raise is like, uh, is like partial pregnancy. It doesn't exist. But, uh, the rhetoric of the Democrats is such that to say this is to be selfish. Well, you're not paying your fair share, it becomes the answer. What? So it was— the great question is, what is one's fair share? I had one of the most powerful liberals in America, Henry Waxman, I have known personally for decades, and I had him on the show And I asked him that question. Do you have the, uh, do you have that in the, uh, Sean, do you have that in our, uh, reservoir of dialogues when I asked Congressman Waxman how much, uh, taxes are enough? And, and it was an important question, and the answer is revealing of a thought, uh, on the left. Would you give a percentage of income that would be paid in income tax that you think would begin to shatter people's incentives to work hard? I haven't reflected on that. I wouldn't want to just pick a number. Okay. And Krugman has the same thing in the New York Times. There's never a number. If they tell— what is the number? What is the amount that you feel is fair? And remember, it is entirely based on what what the left feels is fair. It's a completely subjective concept. And the, the problem is though that their fairness, like Sharia, is imposed on others. Leftism is a very, very compulsory religion, as you will see when my book Still the Best Hope comes out at the end of April. Because I have this vast section on the left analyzing, explaining. If we think it— that 57% of your income is fair, it's fair. 70% is fair, then it's fair. And if you don't pay it, we arrest you. That's it. That is the way it is. Now let me ask you, if you think that— do you think be fair Even those of you who are liberal and left on these issues, I want you to think for a moment. Just forget fairness, forget all other subjects. Just one, I'll ask a narrow-focused question, narrowly-focused question. If Americans could keep, instead of 50% of their money, they could keep, let us say, 75% of their money. Do you think that that would be an engine of economic growth? That's all I want you— we can then talk about fairness, but before fairness, just if we care about economic growth, okay, let's say we're that narrowly focused. Do you think there will be more or fewer jobs If Americans could keep 75% of their income, what do you think Americans do with income that doesn't go to necessities? What do you think they do with it? Keep it in a mattress? Alright, 1-800-PRAGER-776. And let's see here, our Philadelphia caller hung up, and I want you— I, I— he had a thought on this. Maybe you could get back in. In the meantime, let's go to Dallas and Juan. Hello, Juan. Dennis Prager.

Hi, Dennis. Dennis, how you doing?

Great, thanks.

I remember watching you back on Crossfire when you were filling for Buchanan.

Really? I did?

Yeah, I thought— didn't you, didn't you come across one time?

No, I had a, I had a TV show in the '90s. Maybe that's what you're referring to.

Yeah, okay, you're right.

But it was on so late, I don't blame you for mixing me up.

Hey, um, you made a comment a while ago that the federal employment roles are— you have been increased.

Yes.

Right. All right. I went to a job fair, um, here in Dallas, and the IRS was there, and I was applying to be a paralegal position, and they told me that there is a federal hiring freeze because simply that Reid and the others have failed to pass a budget.

Well, they're right about Reid, but they're not— I mean, from what I know, the IRS is— was adding tens of thousands of agents.

Well, have you talked to the department itself?

No, no, but that's what I— I'm going to look into that. Anyway, why would they— why were they at a job fair if they had no jobs to offer?

That's why I asked them. Well, what are you doing here?

That's what I asked them.

Well, just like any employer, when the economy, you know, uh, spurns up toward, you know, income—

we'll keep your name—

that they probably want an inventory of prospects.

I see.

Okay, because everywhere I go, they're either taking applications or resumes, but they're not hiring.

So right now, so you still haven't, uh, gotten a job right now?

Right.

Well, what's your line of work, Juan?

Well, I was a, uh, workers' comp specialist for Tennant Health Corporation. I was, I was a collector. I was collecting workers' comp insurance payments from workers' comp carriers and also monitoring case status from attorneys who represented patients whose employers had no insurance.

Well, it certainly is specialized knowledge. I, I, I really wish you well, Juan. It It breaks my heart because I really believe there's an answer to the problem of the ones in our society, and it is a problem. It is a tragedy for both sexes to lose a job, obviously, but each sex reacts differently as a general rule to different things in life, and a man is more— his self-image and his sense of self is shaped by profession more than most women's lives are. It's not good or bad, it's just either true or false, and I believe it's true. So I'm truly sorry, and I think we have solutions, we who are called conservatives. Back in a moment. I'm Dennis Prager.

This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this.

Popular, happy, well-rounded kids across America are being exploited online through a sinister scheme that leaves them broken, defeated, or worse. January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month in the US, and to raise awareness, SalemNow.com is offering Sexploited in America, the 4-part docuseries from AGA Media, at 50% off. Sexploited in America, now just $4.99 at SalemNow.com.

Now back to more of Dennis Prager's timeless wisdom.

Hi everybody, Dennis Prager here on this Martin Luther King Day show. Got some interesting calls. 1-800-PRAGER-776 is the number And let's go to Paul in Philadelphia. Hi, Paul. Dennis Prager.

Hi. It's an honor to talk to you. I'm really inspired by a lot of what you say. But I think I do have something important to say. Two things. One, I'm a mailman, and most of my other fellow workers, they want— they listen to the workers and say, I'll take the money. Democrats are better for them. Post office. Yes, but you're selling your soul and the souls of future generations about the social moral issues. In other words, yeah, I'll be like a dog jumping for my family money selfishly and be being controlled so that you don't, you know, take gay marriage and partial birth abortion. But also I'm relating it to another thing. I'm a Catholic and I read a lot. And like, for example, Archbishop Chaput wrote a book called Render Unto Caesar. How there's no separation of church and state, but I'm making a point that to be Catholic, really zero people should be voting Democrat, not because the Pope said, not because I said, but because you deeply understand, you're not a child, you understand why that there's a— all issues are not equal. So, uh—

Yeah, I'll tell you the truth, Paul. It's a real powerful point you're making, and it's always been a question to me. So many union members have conservative and traditional values on social and other issues and then vote Democrat for the reasons that you and I are saying, because they will give us a better pension plan. And so it's a terrible, terrible thing. I can't believe that they're happy when they pull the lever unless they have just dulled their conscience on this matter. I mean, if you are a leftist and you're a union member, then of course you vote Democrat. If you're a leftist, you should vote Democrat, but if you're not a leftist, you shouldn't. You don't have to be a right-winger to vote conservative. You just have to be a non-leftist to vote Republican. It's so interesting because it's the media run by folks on the left that the Republicans are described as having been taken over by the far right. What does it mean to be far right? I mean, to analyze the positions for a moment, what far right means. Lower taxes and smaller government is now far right? That's far right? What's moderate right? It's so dishonest. It's just a dishonest thing. But far left is not a Supreme Court telling a New York school that school kids can't say, "God bless our teachers and our parents," right? That's not far left. That's not extreme. There's no far left. Remember that? There's no far left. There's no secular extremists. There's only religious extremists. The whole vocabulary is shaped by the left. So it's totally understandable that people think that way. I pray that my book helps burst that bubble. I really do. Let's go to Minneapolis and Betsy. Hello, Betsy. What's the temperature, Betsy?

Oh boy, it's about 40.

Oh really, 40?

Not too bad today, not too bad.

I thought it was scheduled to go to zero.

Well, it's been bouncing around and there's no snow and I'm worried about my plants, but yes, it's not too cold today.

Okay.

So you want to hear my story?

That's the reason I took your call. I could have figured out the temperature without you.

Okay, well, I'm a newly hired volunteer as a teacher's helper in a program for adult immigrants who want to learn to read English and this program is at a local public high school. And last week we had a unit on Martin Luther King. And the students read a short story which included an excerpt, the most famous part, of course, from the Dream Speech, and then followed up with a discussion. And in the discussion, Martin Luther King was presented as a speaker.

As a what?

As a speaker. And someone asked, "Well, what kind of speaker?" And one student pointed out to the reading and said, "Oh, he was a doctor." And so I finally said, "Yes, he was a doctor, a doctor of divinity, a Christian minister." And the woman who asked the question, who was from China, she went, "Oh." Then no more comments were made and we moved on.

Wow, this is a great story. I want to comment on it.

This episode of Timeless Wisdom was produced by We'll continue right after this.

Popular, happy, well-rounded kids across America are being exploited online through a sinister scheme that leaves them broken, defeated, or worse. January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month in the U.S., and to raise awareness, SalemNow.com is offering Sexploited in America, the 4-part docuseries from AGA Media at 50% off. Sexploited in America, now just $4.99 at SalemNow.com.

Now back to more of Dennis Prager's timeless wisdom.

Hi everybody, Dennis Prager here. I had made the point at the beginning of the show in honoring the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. that he's always called Dr. King. He was never called Dr. King near— well, not nearly as much, let's put it that way. Almost never. He was called the Reverend, the Reverend King during his time. He'd be shocked to be— to know that people didn't even know he's a reverend today. You think he got his values from his doctorate or from his ordination? Why don't we give a tick-tock here, because it's going to take people a lot of time to think that through. You got it, that's correct. So Betsy teaches— let's get this straight here. Betsy in Minnesota, you teach immigrants, is that it?

Well, I'm not a teacher, I am a volunteer who assists the teacher.

Okay, fine.

So you know how to do it.

So they were teaching about Martin Luther King to would-be immigrants to the United States.

Adult immigrants.

Adult immigrants, exactly. Okay.

Through a local public high school.

All right, that's fine. It's an added detail that was not critical, but I thank you for it. Now let me— I just want to review here. He was described— my favorite part of your story was when one student asked, what did he do? And it was said he was a speaker.

Right, and that's what's written in here, and I'm trying to remember who said it, but he was presented as a speaker. Yes, he said, well, what kind of speaker?

A good speaker.

And then, and then this adult student said, well, she looked at the reading and she said, well, it says here he was a doctor.

There you go, that's it. They— none of them knew that. That's exactly— the man has been de-Christianized and de-religionized and de-godized. This is the secular left, uh, photoshopping of history. That's what it is. It's just like the photoshopping of history with God. Totally. It's fascinating. God is removed from the textbooks. Kids don't understand the utterly religious origins of the United States. Again, my forthcoming book will make it so clear including Franklin and Jefferson, nonsense about their being deists. It's all fabricated history written by the secular left in the last generation. It was founded by God-centered people, including Jefferson and Franklin, to be a God-centered country. That you won't learn from textbooks. But starting this year, by law in California, the biggest purchaser of textbooks, you must, must, or you are fined. Your textbook will not be bought by California schools if there is not a section on the contributions of the transgendered and bisexuals to California and American history. This— you see, it's done in increments so you don't realize what the left does to truth. God is out and the transgendered are in. I have nothing against the transgendered. I just want to make the point that God has played a bigger role in American history than the transgendered. I know that that is a risky statement and that the very articulation of it can set legal wheels in motion if it's said outside of radio. As I always say, I have far more freedom of speech inside my studio than the moment I step outside my studio. I'm allowed to say anything I want on air, but off air, if I said that to a coworker— God has played a bigger role in American history than the transgendered— I'm sure I would be brought up to personnel. On some charges of a hostile work environment for Sean, for example. Not that Sean is transgender, just he is very sensitive on their behalf, and it's the law, and, and he's a— he's, he's a law, law-centered man. What? My book is now listed on Amazon? I'm going to pre-order it. Probably get it faster from Amazon than my publisher. April 20—

what?

April 24th. That's, that's bloody exciting. How much is it? So what is it like, list for $106 and you get it for $17? What does it list for? $26.99. Wow. Oh, I got the chills. They don't have a picture, do they? Of course not, the COVID isn't even designed yet. Oh, leave it to Amazon, they'll design their own cover. And then I'll tell my publisher it looks good. Take Amazon's cover. You'll save money. Uh, the doctorization of Martin Luther King is so representative. Of what, uh, what has happened. Michael, one of our many 14-year-old listeners in Ohio City, Ohio.

Um, hi, Mr. Prager, are you there?

I am here. One minute, just tell me something. I'm not familiar with Ohio City.

I said Iowa City, Iowa.

You're in Iowa City, Iowa, and our man wrote Ohio City, Ohio. One minute. He will now be disciplined.

OK. You are going to learn to be more professional! That's what you're going to do!

OK, Michael, go ahead.

Pleasure to talk to you, Mr. Prager.

Thank you.

First-time caller, long-time listener.

Thank you.

So, as a quick aside, I suggest that you try to interview some of the candidates at the field shrinks, especially Romney or Santorum, but I'm just going to get to my comments. I saw Romney, or I went to a Romney rally with my parents, and he gave a great speech about American values and freedom and earning your own stuff. And my dad said it was a speech you could imagine Reagan giving. And I know you have worries about Romney, and I do too, but you have a Prager University video about how actions matter, not intentions. And Romney could be a liar, but a liar who knows exactly what to say about conservative principles and the left, and a liar who knows Liar?

Oh no, he's never— he's not a liar.

I said he could be a liar. We don't know.

Oh, I see. No, no, he isn't. And I am totally with you, Michael. I told you last week I went through a metamorphosis. I'm very open with my listeners. I had problems with Mitt Romney for 5 years. But now I am— I read what he says, I listen to what he says. I believe he means it. I believe he has grown, and what he says is often now magnificent. Thank you, Michael. Hello everybody, you're listening to the Dennis Prager Show, and you are invited to visit Prager University. Make that please a New Year's resolution. As you heard that 14-year-old, that makes me feel good. It's 5-minute courses. You have no idea how many days, weeks around a 5-minute course. It's e— it's easier to do an hour course than it is to do a 5-minute course. PragerUniversity.com. Dennis in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Is that D as in Doyle's or B as in boils?

B as in Doyle, as in dog.

Gotcha.

Okay, or in Dennis. That's— how's that better?

D as in Dennis. I like that.

Uh, Happy New Year, Dennis.

Thank you.

Um, I wanted to make, well, quick point. Listen, tell your screener to check that message that goes on while you're on hold. It was a little vulgar. I don't know what happened, but it's an odd thing. Okay.

Uh-huh.

Yeah.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, you're— I understand what it was. A— we were— my engineer was playing for me a clip from someone who uses vulgar language on a private radio broadcast. So you're the only one who ever heard it. Anyway, thank you. You're right. Go ahead.

I was taken back a little by your statement. I have nothing against transgenders, and I know your faith, so I would think you'd have something against that behavior.

There are two issues here with transgender. One is the person who changes sex, which I always call transsexual. With that person, I have no issue. I do have an issue, yes, and I've said it probably 100 times. I have a very real issue with a man, for example, who wears a dress in public. I absolutely do. And I remember I talked about— what was it, US Air? The man who went on in a bra and panties. And, and US Air let him fly, I thought it was just part of the devolution of our culture. So I do, I have, I don't like the public flaunting of sexual norms. Privately, it is your business, and a transsexual, that is somebody who is certain that he is in a she body and belongs in a he body, or she is in a she body and belongs in a he body, I have only sympathy for these people, for the pain that they must go through to truly be certain you're in the wrong body. But society has a right too to ask that while you are in that body, you appear accordingly. But there is no concept like that today. It is, if I want to do it, That's it. Society can go to hell. I am all that matters. In sexual matters. In financial matters, of course, you have no rights, or far fewer. Back in a moment.

This has been Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Visit DennisPrager.com for thousands of hours of Dennis' lectures, courses, and classic radio programs, and to purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bibles.

For over 30 years, Point of Grace has shared music, faith, and friendship with listeners across the country. Now Denise, Lee, and Shelly are inviting you into their circle. Welcome to Circle of Friends, the podcast. It's Point of Grace. Each week they're talking real life, current events, stories of true friendship, wisdom from God's Word, and all their favorite things. If you're looking for a little company, a few laughs, and a lot of Jesus to hold it together, Circle of Friends, the podcast, is waiting for you. Subscribe now wherever you listen or watch podcasts and circle up with Point of Grace.