马尔科姆演讲稿选票还是子弹 The Ballot or the Bullet.docx

马尔科姆演讲稿选票还是子弹 The Ballot or the Bullet.docx

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马尔科姆演讲稿选票还是子弹TheBallotortheBullet

马尔科姆演讲稿：

选票还是子弹TheBallotortheBullet

bymalcolmx

april3,1964

cleveland,ohio

mr.moderator,brotherlomax,brothersandsisters,friendsandenemies:

ijustcantbelieveeveryoneinhereisafriend,andidontwanttoleaveanybodyout.thequestiontonight,asiunderstandit,isthenegrorevolt,andwheredowegofromhere?

orwhatnext?

inmylittlehumblewayofunderstandingit,itpointstowardeithertheballotorthebullet.

beforewetryandexplainwhatismeantbytheballotorthebullet,iwouldliketoclarifysomethingconcerningmyself.imstillamuslim;myreligionisstillislam.thatsmypersonalbelief.justasadamclaytonpowellisachristianministerwhoheadstheabyssinianbaptistchurchinnewyork,butatthesametimetakespartinthepoliticalstrugglestotryandbringaboutrightstotheblackpeopleinthiscountry;anddr.martinlutherkingisachristianministerdowninatlanta,georgia,whoheadsanotherorganizationfightingforthecivilrightsofblackpeopleinthiscountry;andreverendgalamison,iguessyouveheardofhim,isanotherchristianministerinnewyorkwhohasbeendeeplyinvolvedintheschoolboycottstoeliminatesegregatededucation;well,imyselfamaminister,notachristianminister,butamuslimminister;andibelieveinactiononallfrontsbywhatevermeansnecessary.

althoughimstillamuslim,imnotheretonighttodiscussmyreligion.imnotheretotryandchangeyourreligion.imnotheretoargueordiscussanythingthatwedifferabout,becauseitstimeforustosubmergeourdifferencesandrealizethatitisbestforustofirstseethatwehavethesameproblem,acommonproblem,aproblemthatwillmakeyoucatchhellwhetheryoureabaptist,oramethodist,oramuslim,oranationalist.whetheryoureeducatedorilliterate,whetheryouliveontheboulevardorinthealley,youregoingtocatchhelljustlikeiam.wereallinthesameboatandweallaregoingtocatchthesamehellfromthesameman.hejusthappenstobeawhiteman.allofushavesufferedhere,inthiscountry,politicaloppressionatthehandsofthewhiteman,economicexploitationatthehandsofthewhiteman,andsocialdegradationatthehandsofthewhiteman.

nowinspeakinglikethis,itdoesntmeanthatwereanti-white,butitdoesmeanwereanti-exploitation,wereanti-degradation,wereanti-oppression.andifthewhitemandoesntwantustobeanti-him,lethimstopoppressingandexploitinganddegradingus.whetherwearechristiansormuslimsornationalistsoragnosticsoratheists,wemustfirstlearntoforgetourdifferences.ifwehavedifferences,letusdifferinthecloset;whenwecomeoutinfront,letusnothaveanythingtoargueaboutuntilwegetfinishedarguingwiththeman.ifthelatepresidentkennedycouldgettogetherwithkhrushchevandexchangesomewheat,wecertainlyhavemoreincommonwitheachotherthankennedyandkhrushchevhadwitheachother.

ifwedontdosomethingrealsoon,ithinkyoullhavetoagreethatweregoingtobeforcedeithertousetheballotorthebullet.itsoneortheotherin1964.itisntthattimeisrunningout--timehasrunout!

1964threatenstobethemostexplosiveyearamericahaseverwitnessed.themostexplosiveyear.why?

itsalsoapoliticalyear.itstheyearwhenallofthewhitepoliticianswillbebackintheso-callednegrocommunityjivingyouandmeforsomevotes.theyearwhenallofthewhitepoliticalcrookswillberightbackinyourandmycommunitywiththeirfalsepromises,buildingupourhopesforaletdown,withtheirtrickeryandtheirtreachery,withtheirfalsepromiseswhichtheydontintendtokeep.astheynourishthesedissatisfactions,itcanonlyleadtoonething,anexplosion;andnowwehavethetypeofblackmanonthesceneinamericatoday--imsorry,brotherlomax--whojustdoesntintendtoturntheothercheekanylonger.

dontletanybodytellyouanythingabouttheoddsareagainstyou.iftheydraftyou,theysendyoutokoreaandmakeyouface800millionchinese.ifyoucanbebraveoverthere,youcanbebraverighthere.theseoddsarentasgreatasthoseodds.andifyoufighthere,youwillatleastknowwhatyourefightingfor.

imnotapolitician,notevenastudentofpolitics;infact,imnotastudentofmuchofanything.imnotademocrat.imnotarepublican,andidontevenconsidermyselfanamerican.ifyouandiwereamericans,theredbenoproblem.thosehonkiesthatjustgotofftheboat,theyrealreadyamericans;polacksarealreadyamericans;theitalianrefugeesarealreadyamericans.everythingthatcameoutofeurope,everyblue-eyedthing,isalreadyanamerican.andaslongasyouandihavebeenoverhere,wearentamericansyet.

well,iamonewhodoesntbelieveindeludingmyself.imnotgoingtositatyourtableandwatchyoueat,withnothingonmyplate,andcallmyselfadiner.sittingatthetabledoesntmakeyouadiner,unlessyoueatsomeofwhatsonthatplate.beinghereinamericadoesntmakeyouanamerican.beingbornhereinamericadoesntmakeyouanamerican.why,ifbirthmadeyouamerican,youwouldntneedanylegislation;youwouldntneedanyamendmentstotheconstitution;youwouldntbefacedwithcivil-rightsfilibusteringinwashington,d.c.,rightnow.theydonthavetopasscivil-rightslegislationtomakeapolackanamerican.

no,imnotanamerican.imoneofthe22millionblackpeoplewhoarethevictimsofamericanism.oneofthe22millionblackpeoplewhoarethevictimsofdemocracy,nothingbutdisguisedhypocrisy.so,imnotstandingherespeakingtoyouasanamerican,orapatriot,oraflag-saluter,oraflag-waver--no,noti.imspeakingasavictimofthisamericansystem.andiseeamericathroughtheeyesofthevictim.idontseeanyamericandream;iseeanamericannightmare.

these22millionvictimsarewakingup.theireyesarecomingopen.theyrebeginningtoseewhattheyusedtoonlylookat.theyrebecomingpoliticallymature.theyarerealizingthattherearenewpoliticaltrendsfromcoasttocoast.astheyseethesenewpoliticaltrends,itspossibleforthemtoseethateverytimetheresanelectiontheracesaresoclosethattheyhavetohavearecount.theyhadtorecountinmassachusettstoseewhowasgoingtobegovernor,itwassoclose.itwasthesamewayinrhodeisland,inminnesota,andinmanyotherpartsofthecountry.andthesamewithkennedyandnixonwhentheyranforpresident.itwassoclosetheyhadtocountalloveragain.well,whatdoesthismean?

itmeansthatwhenwhitepeopleareevenlydivided,andblackpeoplehaveablocofvotesoftheirown,itisleftuptothemtodeterminewhosgoingtositinthewhitehouseandwhosgoingtobeinthedoghouse.

lt.wastheblackmansvotethatputthepresentadministrationinwashington,d.c.yourvote,yourdumbvote,yourignorantvote,yourwastedvoteputinanadministrationinwashington,d.c.,thathasseenfittopasseverykindoflegislationimaginable,savingyouuntillast,thenfilibusteringontopofthat.andyourandmyleadershavetheaudacitytorunaroundclappingtheirhandsandtalkabouthowmuchprogressweremaking.andwhatagoodpresidentwehave.ifhewasntgoodintexas,hesurecantbegoodinwashington,d.c.becausetexasisalynchstate.itisinthesamebreathasmississippi,nodifferent;onlytheylynchyouintexaswithatexasaccentandlynchyouinmississippiwithamississippiaccent.andthesenegroleadershavetheaudacitytogoandhavesomecoffeeinthewhitehousewithatexan,asoutherncracker--thatsallheis--andthencomeoutandtellyouandmethathesgoingtobebetterforusbecause,sincehesfromthesouth,heknowshowtodealwiththesoutherners.whatkindoflogicisthat?

leteastlandbepresident,hesfromthesouthtoo.heshouldbebetterabletodealwiththemthanjohnson.

inthispresentadministrationtheyhaveinthehouseofrepresentatives257democratstoonly177republicans.theycontroltwo-thirdsofthehousevote.whycanttheypasssomethingthatwillhelpyouandme?

inthesenate,thereare67senatorswhoareofthedemocraticparty.only33ofthemarerepublicans.why,thedemocratshavegotthegovernmentsewedup,andyouretheonewhoseweditupforthem.andwhathavetheygivenyouforit?

fouryearsinoffice,andjustnowgettingaroundtosomecivil-rightslegislation.justnow,aftereverythingelseisgone,outoftheway,theyregoingtositdownnowandplaywithyouallsummerlong--thesameoldgiantcongamethattheycallfilibuster.allthoseareincahootstogether.dontyoueverthinktheyrenotincahootstogether,forthemanthatisheadingthecivil-rightsfilibusterisamanfromgeorgianamedrichardrussell.whenjohnsonbecamepresident,thefirstmanheaskedforwhenhegotbacktowashington,d.c.,wasdicky--thatshowtighttheyare.thatshisboy,thatshispal,thatshisbuddy.buttheyreplayingthatoldcongame.oneofthemmakesbelievehesforyou,andhesgotitfixedwheretheotheroneissotightagainstyou,heneverhastokeephispromise.

soitstimein1964towakeup.andwhenyouseethemcomingupwiththatkindofconspiracy,letthemknowyoureyesareopen.andletthemknowyou--somethingelsethatswideopentoo.itsgottobetheballotorthebullet.theballotorthebullet.ifyoureafraidtouseanexpressionlikethat,youshouldgetonoutofthecountry;youshouldgetbackinthecottonpatch;youshouldgetbackinthealley.theygetallthenegrovote,andaftertheygetit,thenegrogetsnothinginreturn.alltheydidwhentheygottow