美国经典英文演讲100篇ATimetoBreakSilenceBeyondVietnamWord文档下载推荐.docx
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Break
Silence-Beyond
Vietnam
MartinLutherKing,Jr.
BeyondVietnam--ATimetoBreakSilence
*Mr.Chairman,ladiesandgentlemen,IneednotpausetosayhowverydelightedIamtobeheretonight,andhowverydelightedIamtoseeyouexpressingyourconcernabouttheissuesthatwillbediscussedtonightbyturningoutinsuchlargenumbers.IalsowanttosaythatIconsideritagreathonortosharethisprogramwithDr.Bennett,Dr.Commager,andRabbiHeschel,someofthedistinguishedleadersandpersonalitiesofournation.Andofcourseit’salwaysgoodtocomebacktoRiversideChurch.Overthelasteightyears,Ihavehadtheprivilegeofpreachingherealmosteveryyearinthatperiod,anditisalwaysarichandrewardingexperiencetocometothisgreatchurchandthisgreatpulpit.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,"
tyouacivilrightsleader?
andtherebymeantoexcludemefromthemovementforpeace,Ihavethisfurtheranswer.In1957whenagroupofusformedtheSouthernChristianLeadershipConference,wechoseasourmotto:
TosavethesoulofAmerica."
Wewereconvincedthatwecouldnotlimitourvisiontocertainrightsforblackpeople,butinsteadaffirmedtheconvictionthatAmericawouldneverbefreeorsavedfromitselfuntilthedescendantsofitsslaveswereloosedcompletelyfromtheshacklestheystillwear.InawaywewereagreeingwithLangstonHughes,thatblackbardofHarlem,whohadwrittenearlier:
O,yes,
Isayitplain,
AmericaneverwasAmericatome,
AndyetIswearthisoath--
Americawillbe!
Now,itshouldbeincandescentlyclearthatnoonewhohasanyconcernfortheintegrityandlifeofAmericatodaycanignorethepresentwar.IfAmerica'
ssoulbecomestotallypoisoned,partoftheautopsymustread:
Vietnam.Itcanneverbesavedsolongasitdestroysthedeepesthopesofmentheworldover.SoitisthatthoseofuswhoareyetdeterminedthatAmericawillbeareleddownthepathofprotestanddissent,workingforthehealthofourland.
AsiftheweightofsuchacommitmenttothelifeandhealthofAmericawerenotenough,anotherburdenofresponsibilitywasplaceduponmein1954**[sic];
andIcannotforgetthattheNobelPrizeforPeacewasalsoacommission--acommissiontoworkharderthanIhadeverworkedbeforefor"
thebrotherhoodofman."
Thisisacallingthattakesmebeyondnationalallegiances,butevenifitwerenotpresentIwouldyethavetolivewiththemeaningofmycommitmenttotheministryofJesusChrist.TometherelationshipofthisministrytothemakingofpeaceissoobviousthatIsometimesmarvelatthosewhoaskmewhyI'
mspeakingagainstthewar.Coulditbethattheydonotknowthatthegoodnewswasmeantforallmen--forComm