April 4th marks the 48th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is also the 48th anniversary of his speech; Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence, given at Riverside Church in New York City, exactly one year before he was killed.
Originally I thought I would write something about Dr. King and possibly this speech to commemorate the dreadful occasion of his death, but then I sat down and started reading this speech again and realized the best way to remember him is to urge people to read this speech. I have read it many times and each time struck by its clarity, how much I have forgotten, and what I see new.
King’s prophetic voice rings just as true today as it did in 1967. Today the U.S. continues to be the great purveyor of violence in the world, as our nation’s government wages war in Afghanistan, bombs people in Iraq and Syria, conducts drone warfare around the globe and U.S. corporation lead the world in arms exports.
Racism continues to be a central national question as seen by racially biased incidents around the country and the epidemic killing of unarmed Black people by police. Dr. King found himself talking to angry young Black men and telling them that,“Molotov cocktails and rifles would not solve their problems.”
I am deeply concerned that the potential for low intensity violent unrest is simmering below a veneer of relative civility. In the aftermath of the killing of Michael Brown Jr., I too have walked and talked with angry and desperate Black people, young and old, telling them that violent reaction is not in the best interests of our community and will only bring violent repression, making it much more difficult to bring change.
In contrast, the recent rise of the Black Lives Matter movement is a testament to King’s legacy and influence. Initiated and led by young people, many of its leaders look to him for a moral voice and framework to demand change and the inspiration and guidance for nonviolent means to create that change. We as peacemakers and justice seekers must support this movement by building bridges between adversaries, developing nonviolent conflict resolution structures and clearing paths to equity for all to help those most angry and in misery see alternatives to violence.
Of course there is the continuing growth in the divide between the rich and poor. Today millions of people find themselves out of work and without prospects for finding a job. Many of them have given up looking for work in despair. People find themselves homeless or in decrepit living conditions, food insecure, under educated and without healthcare. Yet today just as in 1967, powerful interests seek to further divert the meager amounts of national treasure invested in human needs to war spending. The U.S.,“continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift...”
With this year being the 50th anniversary of the start of the Vietnam War and the 40th anniversary of its ending, we would hope U.S. military leaders and politicians would look to the past to learn lessons of peace as we face endless war today. Unfortunately, this excerpt from King’s speech quoting Buddhist leaders of Vietnam reflect the same out comes then as outcomes now of the U.S. war on terror and use of killer drones:
“This is the message of the great Buddhist leaders of Vietnam. Recently one of them wrote these words:
‘Each day the war goes on the hatred increases in the heart of the Vietnamese and in the hearts of those of humanitarian instinct. The Americans are forcing even their friends into becoming their enemies. It is curious that the Americans, who calculate so carefully on the possibilities of military victory, do not realize that in the process they are incurring deep psychological and political defeat. The image of America will never again be the image of revolution, freedom and democracy, but the image of violence and militarism.’”
Today as then, U.S. war policy claimed by national leaders to defeat U.S. enemies and propagate peace really serves to create more enemies and ensures more war.
The triple evils of racism, materialism and militarism are alive and well in our nation today, Further, the U.S. is exporting adulation for these twisted values around the world. With the globe facing the overwhelming challenges of climate change, nuclear proliferation, poverty and war, it is clear that we must work together as a global community to survive as a species. Please take the time to read and learn from King’s amazing speech as we resist the destructive “isms” and work for the revolution in values that Dr. King called for.
Follow this link to read the speech. http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/058.html
Follow this link to listen to the speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qf6x9_MLD0