January 12, 2011
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©
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.