名人英语演讲稿 A Time to Break SilenceWord文件下载.docx
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"
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,"
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