tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231099519591992868.post4751339661804341938..comments2023-11-11T21:02:46.520-05:00Comments on marshamercer.com : Wrong song: Correct the Angelou stamp -- April 9, 2015 columnMarsha Mercerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08581920296605648970noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231099519591992868.post-91610747471665258962015-04-12T17:30:11.770-04:002015-04-12T17:30:11.770-04:00This post lets the Obama administration, the post ...This post lets the Obama administration, the post office, and especially Ms. Angelou, off the hook much to easily. <br /><br />(1) First and foremost, Angelou PLAGIARIZED the quote. As you concede, "apparently never" attributed it to Anglund. Indeed, she posted it on her Facebook page on November 23, 2013 without crediting Ms. Anglund or even putting it in quotes. You can see this for yourself here:<br /><br />https://m.facebook.com/MayaAngelou/posts/10152116297564796<br /><br />There is nothing remotely innocent about this literary theft. Angelou knew she was not the author yet claimed the quote as her own on multiple occasions. She accepted credit for the quote at various events, including, notably, the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Your claim that she merely "used" it is a bit misleading. Simply put, she stole it. She IS a twit. Why you are holding her up as some moral beacon for insisting MLK's quote be corrected is beyond me. She was a shameless thief.<br /><br />(2) The post office's excuse that Angelou used the quote and others on the internet attributed it to her is beneath contempt. They were obligated to confirm a PRIMARY source, a copyrighted publication of Angelou's in which it appeared. Of course there was none, and their alleged reliance on a Greek music blog is inexcusable. Furthermore, Anglund's authorship was easily ascertainable with a five second Google search, which was how the plagiarism was uncovered in the first place. Can you imagine what would happen to a private publisher that published 80 million copies of a book without bothering to confirm the authorship? Massive lawsuit, criminal charges and immediate bankruptcy.<br /><br />(3) The Obamas and Oprah went ahead with the ceremony despite knowing they were distributing a plagiarized quote. What kind of example does that set? It's an act of complete lawlessness. The fact that Ms. Anglund is too old (and probably too frightened) to object is irrelevant. The government is acting like a pack of gangsters.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01917278536734101040noreply@blogger.com