名人英语演讲稿 A Time to Break Silence.docx

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