经典英文演讲4650.docx
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经典英文演讲4650
经典英文演讲_46
MartinLutherKing:
BeyondVietnam--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:
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--forCommunistandcapitalist,fortheirchildrenandours,forblackandforwhite,forrevolutionaryandconservative?
HavetheyforgottenthatmyministryisinobediencetotheOnewholovedhisenemiessofullythathediedforthem?
WhatthencanIsaytotheVietcongortoCastroortoMaoasafaithfulministerofthisOne?
CanIthreatenthemwithdeathormustInotsharewiththemmylife?
Andfinally,asItrytoexplainforyouandformyselftheroadthatleadsfromMontgomerytothisplaceIwouldhaveofferedallthatwasmostvalidifIsimplysaidthatImustbetruetomyconvictionthatIsharewithallmenthecallingtobeasonofthelivingGod.Beyondthecallingofraceornationorcreedisthisvocationofsonshipandbrotherhood,andbecauseIbelievethattheFatheris