Martin Luther King Jr.
"Why I Am Opposed to the Vietnam War"
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During the last years of his life, Martin Luther King Jr. became more outspoken against US foreign policy, especially as it related to the war in Vietnam. This speech, given at Riverside Church in New York City on April 30, 1967 was his most passionate attempt to speak about the war.
"I preach to you today on the war in Vietnam because my conscience leaves me with no other choice. The time has come for America to hear the truth about this tragic war... Rationalizations and the incessant search for scapegoats are the psychological cataracts that blind us to our sins... [and] the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality. There comes a time when silence becomes betrayal."
What I have found most powerful about this speech is how easily it can be applied to current American foreign and financial policy. The three evils, Martin was speaking out against, were Militarism, Economic Exploitation, and Racism.
"There will be no meaningful solution until some attempt is made to know these people and hear their broken cries."
It makes me think of the contemporary War, the War on Terrorism. Although this speech is less famous than others, I feel strongly that this is his most powerful and greatest speech. As you listen, think about how these words still resonate today. Have we learned? Or do we continue to commit the most haunting mistakes from our past?
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