Rev. Al Sharpton claims that Rodney King, who was found dead in his swimming pool Sunday morning, was a symbol of civil rights.
A few Twitter users echoed Sharpton:
Sad News For Civil Rights: Rodney King found dead in swimming pool |… http://t.co/Shd45Sau #hamr
— worldwidedx (@worldwidedx) June 18, 2012
https://twitter.com/Cocibear/status/214499021950164993
RIP Rodney King….although I had mixed feelings about you, you played an important role in modern day civil rights.
— Ladee TDot (@LadeeTdot) June 17, 2012
https://twitter.com/Cocibear/status/214499021950164993
Some even went so far as to compare him to Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks:
laugh if u want but 50 yrs from now #RodneyKing will be considered the Rosa Parks of the anti profiling movement…
— Own Your Masters (@ThaArchitect) June 18, 2012
#SOSundays Happy Fathers Day S/O2 to the late Martin Luther King, Jr.; and the late Rodney King!! RIP MLK Jr and RK
— Brian J ????BLM ✊? (@SuperboyJohnson) June 17, 2012
https://twitter.com/NOIRFANCY/status/214473870672007168
Rodney King was the accidental "Rosa Parks" of the 90's and racial profiling
— Nakisha M. Lewis (@NakLew) June 17, 2012
Oh yea if Rodney King wasn't important than neither was Rosa Parks. From what I know her story was grossly exaggerated
— Rob (@BEASTMOD_E) June 17, 2012
RIP Rodney King Should be next to Rosa Parks in history books.
— #OnDatOva 223ent (@OnDatOva) June 17, 2012
#RIP Rodney King..the 90s MLK
— Kenny Starnes (@KpStarnes) June 17, 2012
I didnt think rodney king was ever gone die lol cuh was like another MLK in 2pac and 50cent body lol
— Supa`Gang??? (@MyKingdom__) June 17, 2012
Many others, however, disagreed:
Rodney King was not Emmett Till, James Meredith, Rosa Parks, or MLK. He wasn't Neda. The media is pathetic.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 17, 2012
Not sure if #RodneyKing can be called a 'civil rights icon' in the same sense as Rosa Parks or the other King…
— Vivienne Breton (@viviennebreton) June 17, 2012
@1JDIVA I was wondering what all this "OMG Rodney King died" ish was coming from. Every life is precious but folk act like MLK died
— DMIDDLE (@billygoatjack) June 17, 2012
https://twitter.com/JimmyFenimore/status/214473236870729728
Rodney King was no civil rights leader but I do hope we take his advice someday, stop categorizing by melanin count, & just try to get along
— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) June 17, 2012
Rodney King was not a symbol for civil rights, and Al Sharpton should be ashamed of himself for saying so.
— Prince's Side-Eye (@SoCalGal64) June 17, 2012
Really? If you listened to CNN it would seem like Rodney King was Emmett Till, Rosa Parks or MLK. Dude wasn't a civil rights pioneer.
— Vincent Frank (@VincentFrankNFL) June 17, 2012
Niggas talkin bout Rodney King like he was MLK or Ghandi the nigga wasn't special he just got hit ass beat by the law on camera
— Elmo McElroy (@Drapht__) June 17, 2012
Rodney King died, he obviously shouldn't have been beaten, but let's not pretend he was Rosa Parks or MLK Jr. #perspective
— Stoner Jesus™ (@stonerjesus420) June 17, 2012
https://twitter.com/JYung_YDLC/status/214379417772892162
Drinking beer and smoking Crack RT @ATL_TROTT: Rodney King bout to be a Civil Rights Hero let y'all tell it… For what? ???????
— beeaboutmoney (@beeaboutmoney) June 17, 2012
https://twitter.com/travdeenie/status/214459710861094913
Nigga on Facebook gave Rodney King praise like he was a great black leader in the civil rights movement I'm so confused bruh
— King ?? (@king_of_indiana) June 17, 2012
anyone mourning rodney king as a decent human is a moron, Guy was a thug. Did he deserve that beating? maybe not but he was no MLK.
— Rob (@BobbyNeil79) June 17, 2012