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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 2011)
January 12, 2011 lì © M a r t in L u t h e r K in g J r . 2011 A Man o f Peace: From “ Beyond Vietnam, writes, and having writ moves April 4th, 1967: o n .’ “A true revolution o f values “We have a choice todav: will lay hand on the world nonviolent coexistence or vio order and say o f war, ‘This lent coannihilation. We must way o f settling differences is move past indecision to ac not just. ’ This business o f burn tion. We must find new ways to ing human beings with napalm, speak fo r peace...and justice o f filling our nation's homes throughout the world, a world with orphans and widows, o f that borders on our doors. If injecting poisonous drugs o f we do not act, we shall surely hate into the veins o f peoples be dragged down the long, normally humane, o f sending dark, and shameful corridors men home fro m dark and o f time reserved fo r those who bloody battlefields physically possess power without com handicapped and psychologi passion, might without moral cally deranged, cannot be rec ity, and strength w ithout onciled with wisdom, justice, sight... and love. A nation that contin “And if we only make the ues year after year to spend right choice, we will be able to more money on military de transform the pending cosmic fen se than on programs o f elegy into a creative psalm o f social uplift is approaching peace. I f we will make the right spiritual death. America, the choice, we will be able to trans richest and most powerful na form the jangling discords o f tion in the world, can well lead our world into a beautiful sym the way in this revolution o f phony o f brotherhood. I f we values. There is nothing ex will but make the right choice, cept a tragic death wish to we will be able to speed up the prevent us from reordering day, all over America and all our priorities so that the pur over the world, when justice suit o f peace will take prece will roll down like waters, and dence over the pursuit o f war. righteousness like a mighty There is nothing to keep us stream. ” from molding a recalcitrant From his last serm on at status quo with bruised hands Ebenezer Baptist Church on until we have fashioned it into April 30, 1967: a brotherhood. “Don't let anybody make “We are now faced with the you think God chose America fact, my friends, that tomor as his divine messianic force row is today. We are con to be a sort o f policeman o f the fronted with the fierce urgency whole world. God has a way o f now. In this unfolding co o f standing before the nations nundrum o f life and history, with justice and it seems I can there is such a thing as being hear God saying to America to late. Procrastination is still ‘you are too arrogant, and if the thief o f time. Life often you don't change your ways, I leaves us standing bare, na will rise up and break the ked, and dejected with a lost backbone o f your power, and opportunity. The tide in the I will place it in the hands o f a affairs o f men does not remain nation that doesn't even know at flood—it ebbs. We may cry my name. Be still and know out desperately fo r time to that I'm God. Men will beat pause in her passage, but time their swords into plowshafts is adamant to every plea and and their spears into pruning rushes on. Over the bleached hooks, and nations shall not bones and jum bled residues rise up against nations, nei o f numerous civilizations are ther shall they study war any written the pathetic words, more. ’ I don't know about you, ‘Too late.’ There is an invis I ain't going to study war any ible book o f life that faithfully more. ” records our vigilance or our neglect. Omar Khayyam is On April 4, 1968, Martin right: ‘The moving fin g e r Luther King Jr. was shot by Page 33 s p e c ia l e d ilio n King s stand against war A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs o f social uplift is approaching spiritual doom. - - Martin Luther King Jr. James Earl Ray while on the balcony of a Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was only 39 at the time of his death. Dr. King was turning his at tention to a nationwide campaign to help the poor at the time of his assas sination. King had never wavered in insisting that nonviolence, inspired by Ghandi, must remain the central tactic of the civil-rights movement, nor in his faith that everyone in America would some day attain equal justice. Your vote is yo u r voice.
