Reflecting on the 50-year anniversary of the March on Washington, radio host Tavis smiley said on the "This Week" powerhouse roundtable that the U.S. was days away from "dishonoring" Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with "deeds in Syria."

"Just days ago we were celebrating 50 years since the March on Washington and President Obama stood where Dr. King stood 50 years ago. And we honored Martin with our words in Washington and now here we are days away from dishonoring him with our deeds in Syria."

During discussion of President Obama's calls for a U.S. strike on Syria over their alleged use of chemical weapons against the country's civilian population, Smiley raised the issue of violent versus non-violent action, sharing what he believed MLK would have to say about a potential U.S. strike on Syria.

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"There's the issue of violence. War, Dr. King would say were he here, is not the answer. We cannot worship at the altar of retaliation," Smiley said. "It's either non-violent co-existence or violent co-annihilation, Dr. King would say were he here."

Smiley said on the powerhouse roundtable that whatever the U.S. decides to do, "This is connected to Iraq, it's connected to all of our history and we can't honor him with our words and then dishonor him days later."

Democratic strategist James Carville responded, saying "I think that we'll frame our response this way. We're not intervening in Syria. We're punishing Assad. Because Assad is the one that actually did this and this is a horrible thing to gas young people. Let's just put that right out. I don't think Dr. King would have approved of that at all."