Sarah Palin Tells President Obama To Stop 'Playing The Race Card’ On Martin Luther King Day [PHOTO]

Martin Luther King Day took a dramatic turn Monday when former Republican vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, took to social media to ask President Barack Obama to stop “playing the race card” in honor of the late African-American civil rights movement leader.

Palin, 49, started her controversial Facebook post by wishing all her followers a Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day and quoting a line from Dr. King's famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the March on Washington in 1963, before going on to directly speak to President Obama. "'I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character" … Mr. President, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. and all who commit to ending any racial divide, no more playing the race card,” wrote Palin.

The post has since received over 42,708 shares on Facebook and over 4,200 comments, a majority attacking the Alaska-based politician. “To use the words of the late MLK to pick at the president is low, disgusting and goes against the very nature of what the speech is about: coming together for a better country. Shame on you Sarah Palin,” said Facebook user Chandra Enriquez-Brandon Monday. “Your disrespect of President Obama and Martin Luther King Jr. speaks volumes about your lack of character,” said Renee Nestor. “Wow. Use a day to honor MLK to get a dig in at America's first minority president. Like him or not, this is a low rent status,” said Jacqueline Parkey.

Palin’s comments follow a recently published article in The New Yorker in which President Obama, 52, discussed his voting loss among white voters in 2012. “There’s no doubt that there’s some folks who just really dislike me because they don’t like the idea of a black President,” said Obama, adding, “Now, the flip side of it is there are some black folks and maybe some white folks who really like me and give me the benefit of the doubt precisely because I’m a black President.”

President Obama has yet to comment on Palin’s post, only sharing a quote from Dr. King on his official Twitter page Monday, saying, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”