名人英语演讲稿 A Time to Break Silence.docx
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名人英语演讲稿 A Time to Break Silence.docx
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名人英语演讲稿ATimetoBreakSilence
名人英语演讲稿:
ATimetoBreakSilence
icometothismagnificenthouseofworshiptonightbecausemyconscienceleavesmenootherchoice.ijoinyouinthismeetingbecauseiamindeepestagreementwiththeaimsandworkoftheorganizationwhichhasbroughtustogether:
clergyandlaymenconcernedaboutvietnam.therecentstatementsofyourexecutivecommitteearethesentimentsofmyownheart,andifoundmyselfinfullaccordwhenireaditsopeninglines:
"atimecomeswhensilenceisbetrayal."andthattimehascomeforusinrelationtovietnam.
thetruthofthesewordsisbeyonddoubt,butthemissiontowhichtheycallusisamostdifficultone.evenwhenpressedbythedemandsofinnertruth,mendonoteasilyassumethetaskofopposingtheirgovernment'spolicy,especiallyintimeofwar.nordoesthehumanspiritmovewithoutgreatdifficultyagainstalltheapathyofconformistthoughtwithinone'sownbosomandinthesurroundingworld.moreover,whentheissuesathandseemasperplexedastheyoftendointhecaseofthisdreadfulconflict,wearealwaysonthevergeofbeingmesmerizedbyuncertainty;butwemustmoveon.
andsomeofuswhohavealreadybeguntobreakthesilenceofthenighthavefoundthatthecallingtospeakisoftenavocationofagony,butwemustspeak.wemustspeakwithallthehumilitythatisappropriatetoourlimitedvision,butwemustspeak.andwemustrejoiceaswell,forsurelythisisthefirsttimeinournation'shistorythatasignificantnumberofitsreligiousleadershavechosentomovebeyondtheprophesyingofsmoothpatriotismtothehighgroundsofafirmdissentbaseduponthemandatesofconscienceandthereadingofhistory.perhapsanewspiritisrisingamongus.ifitis,letustraceitsmovementsandpraythatourowninnerbeingmaybesensitivetoitsguidance,forwearedeeplyinneedofanewwaybeyondthedarknessthatseemssoclosearoundus.
overthepasttwoyears,asihavemovedtobreakthebetrayalofmyownsilencesandtospeakfromtheburningsofmyownheart,asihavecalledforradicaldeparturesfromthedestructionofvietnam,manypersonshavequestionedmeaboutthewisdomofmypath.attheheartoftheirconcernsthisqueryhasoftenloomedlargeandloud:
"whyareyouspeakingaboutthewar,dr.king?
""whyareyoujoiningthevoicesofdissent?
""peaceandcivilrightsdon'tmix,"theysay."aren'tyouhurtingthecauseofyourpeople,"theyask?
andwhenihearthem,thoughioftenunderstandthesourceoftheirconcern,iamneverthelessgreatlysaddened,forsuchquestionsmeanthattheinquirershavenotreallyknownme,mycommitmentormycalling.indeed,theirquestionssuggestthattheydonotknowtheworldinwhichtheylive.
inthelightofsuchtragicmisunderstanding,ideemitofsignalimportancetotrytostateclearly,anditrustconcisely,whyibelievethatthepathfromdexteravenuebaptistchurch--thechurchinmontgomery,alabama,whereibeganmypastorate--leadsclearlytothissanctuarytonight.
icometothisplatformtonighttomakeapassionatepleatomybelovednation.thisspeechisnotaddressedtohanoiortothenationalliberationfront.itisnotaddressedtochinaortorussia.norisitanattempttooverlooktheambiguityofthetotalsituationandtheneedforacollectivesolutiontothetragedyofvietnam.neitherisitanattempttomakenorthvietnamorthenationalliberationfrontparagonsofvirtue,nortooverlooktheroletheymustplayinthesuccessfulresolutionoftheproblem.whiletheybothmayhavejustifiablereasonstobesuspiciousofthegoodfaithoftheunitedstates,lifeandhistorygiveeloquenttestimonytothefactthatconflictsareneverresolvedwithouttrustfulgiveandtakeonbothsides.
tonight,however,iwishnottospeakwithhanoiandthenationalliberationfront,butrathertomyfellowed[sic]americans,*who,withme,bearthegreatestresponsibilityinendingaconflictthathasexactedaheavypriceonbothcontinents.
sinceiamapreacherbytrade,isupposeitisnotsurprisingthatihavesevenmajorreasonsforbringingvietnamintothefieldofmymoralvision.*thereisattheoutsetaveryobviousandalmostfacileconnectionbetweenthewarinvietnamandthestrugglei,andothers,havebeenwaginginamerica.afewyearsagotherewasashiningmomentinthatstruggle.itseemedasiftherewasarealpromiseofhopeforthepoor--bothblackandwhite--throughthepovertyprogram.therewereexperiments,hopes,newbeginnings.thencamethebuildupinvietnam,andiwatchedthisprogrambrokenandeviscerated,asifitweresomeidlepoliticalplaythingofasocietygonemadonwar,andiknewthatamericawouldneverinvestthenecessaryfundsorenergiesinrehabilitationofitspoorsolongasadventureslikevietnamcontinuedtodrawmenandskillsandmoneylikesomedemonicdestructivesuctiontube.so,iwasincreasinglycompelledtoseethewarasanenemyofthepoorandtoattackitassuch.
perhapsthemoretragicrecognitionofrealitytookplacewhenitbecamecleartomethatthewarwasdoingfarmorethandevastatingthehopesofthepoorathome.itwassendingtheirsonsandtheirbrothersandtheirhusbandstofightandtodieinextraordinarilyhighproportionsrelativetotherestofthepopulation.weweretakingtheblackyoungmenwhohadbeencrippledbyoursocietyandsendingthemeightthousandmilesawaytoguaranteelibertiesinsoutheastasiawhichtheyhadnotfoundinsouthwestgeorgiaandeastharlem.andsowehavebeenrepeatedlyfacedwiththecruelironyofwatchingnegroandwhiteboysontvscreensastheykillanddietogetherforanationthathasbeenunabletoseatthemtogetherinthesameschools.andsowewatchtheminbrutalsolidarityburningthehutsofapoorvillage,butwerealizethattheywouldhardlyliveonthesameblockinchicago.icouldnotbesilentinthefaceofsuchcruelmanipulationofthepoor.
mythirdreasonmovestoanevendeeperlevelofawareness,foritgrowsoutofmyexperienceintheghettoesofthenorthoverthelastthreeyears--especiallythelastthreesummers.asihavewalkedamongthedesperate,rejected,andangryyoungmen,ihavetoldthemthatmolotovcocktailsandrifleswouldnotsolvetheirproblems.ihavetriedtoofferthemmydeepestcompassionwhilemaintainingmyconvictionthatsocialchangecomesmostmeaningfullythroughnonviolentaction.buttheyask--andrightlyso--whataboutvietnam?
theyaskifourownnationwasn'tusingmassivedosesofviolencetosolveitsproblems,tobringaboutthechangesitwanted.theirquestionshithome,andiknewthaticouldneveragainraisemyvoiceagainsttheviolenceoftheoppressedintheghettoswithouthavingfirstspokenclearlytothegreatestpurveyorofviolenceintheworldtoday--myowngovernment.forthesakeofthoseboys,forthesakeofthisgovernment,forthesakeofthehundredsofthousandstremblingunderourviolence,icannotbesilent.
forthosewhoaskthequestion,"aren'tyouacivilrightsleader?
"andtherebymeantoexcludemefromthemovementforpeace,ihavethisfurtheranswer.in1957whenagroupofusformedthesouthernchristianleadershipconference,wechoseasourmotto:
"tosavethesoulofamerica."wewereconvincedthatwecouldnotlimitourvisiontocertainrightsforblackpeople,butinsteadaffirmedtheconvictionthatamericawouldneverbefreeorsavedfromitselfuntilthedescendantsofitsslaveswereloosedcompletelyfromtheshacklestheystillwear.inawaywewereagreeingwithlangstonhughes,thatblackbardofharlem,whohadwrittenearlier:
now,itshouldbeincandescentlyclearthatnoonewhohasanyconcernfortheintegrityandlifeofamericatodaycanignorethepresentwar.ifamerica'ssoulbecomestotallypoisoned,partoftheautopsymustread:
vietnam.itcanneverbesavedsolongasitdestroysthedeepesthopesofmentheworldover.soitisthatthoseofuswhoareyetdeterminedthatamericawillbeareleddownthepathofprotestanddissent,workingforthehealthofourland.
asiftheweightofsuchacommitmenttothelifeandhealthofamericawerenotenough,anotherburdenofresponsibilitywasplaceduponmein1954**[sic];andicannotforgetthatthenobelprizeforpeacewasalsoacommission--acommissiontoworkharderthanihadeverworkedbeforefor"thebrotherhoodofman."thisisacallingthattakesmebeyondnationalallegiances,butevenifitwerenotpresentiwouldyethavetolivewiththemeaningofmycommitmenttotheministryofjesuschrist.tometherelationshipofthisministrytothemakingofpeaceissoobviousthatisometimesmarvelatthosewhoaskmewhyi'mspeakingagainstthewar.coulditbethattheydonotknowthatthegoodnewswasmeantforallmen--forcommunistandcapitalist,fortheirchildrenandours,forblackandforwhite,forrevolutionaryandconservative?
havetheyforgottenthatmyministryisinobediencetotheonewholovedhisenemiessofullythathediedforthem?
whatthencanisaytothevietcongortocastroortomaoasafaithfulministerofthisone?
canithreatenthemwithdeathormustinotsharewiththemmylife?
andfinally,asitrytoexplainforyouandformyselftheroadthatleadsfrommontgomerytothisplaceiwouldhaveofferedallthatwasmostvalidifisimplysaidthatimustbetruetomyconvictionthatisharewithallmenthecallingtobeasonofthelivinggod.beyondthecallingofraceornationorcreedisthisvocationofsonshipandbrotherhood,andbecauseibelievethatthefatherisdeeplyconcernedespeciallyforhissufferingandhelplessandoutcastchildren,icometonig
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