美国经典英文演讲100篇ATimetoBreakSilenceBeyondVietnam.docx

美国经典英文演讲100篇ATimetoBreakSilenceBeyondVietnam.docx

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美国经典英文演讲100篇ATimetoBreakSilenceBeyondVietnam

美国经典英文演讲100篇:

A Time to 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,"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--forComm