英语演讲原文The Ballot or the Bullet speech by Malcolm X.docx

英语演讲原文The Ballot or the Bullet speech by Malcolm X.docx

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英语演讲原文TheBallotortheBulletspeechbyMalcolmX

TheBallotortheBulletspeechbyMalcolmX

Mr.Moderator,BrotherLomax,brothersandsisters,friendsandenemies:

Ijustcan'tbelieveeveryoneinhereisafriend,andIdon'twanttoleaveanybodyout.Thequestiontonight,asIunderstandit,is"TheNegroRevolt,andWhereDoWeGoFromHere?

"orWhatNext?

"Inmylittlehumble1wayofunderstandingit,itpointstowardeithertheballot3orthebullet. Beforewetryandexplainwhatismeantbytheballotorthebullet,Iwouldliketoclarifysomethingconcerningmyself.I'mstillaMuslim;myreligionisstillIslam.That'smypersonalbelief.JustasAdamClaytonPowellisaChristian5ministerwhoheadstheAbyssinianBaptistChurchinNewYork,butatthesametimetakespartinthepoliticalstrugglestotryandbringaboutrightstotheblackpeopleinthiscountry;andDr.MartinLutherKingisaChristianministerdowninAtlanta,Georgia,whoheadsanotherorganizationfightingforthecivilrightsofblackpeopleinthiscountry;andReverendGalamison,Iguessyou'veheardofhim,isanotherChristianministerinNewYorkwhohasbeendeeplyinvolvedintheschoolboycotts6toeliminatesegregated7education;well,Imyselfamaminister,notaChristianminister,butaMuslimminister;andIbelieveinactiononallfrontsbywhatevermeansnecessary.AlthoughI'mstillaMuslim,I'mnotheretonighttodiscussmyreligion.I'mnotheretotryandchangeyourreligion.I'mnotheretoargueordiscussanythingthatwedifferabout,becauseit'stimeforustosubmergeourdifferencesandrealizethatitisbestforustofirstseethatwehavethesameproblem,acommonproblem,aproblemthatwillmakeyoucatchhellwhetheryou'reaBaptist,oraMethodist,oraMuslim,oranationalist.Whetheryou'reeducatedorilliterate8,whetheryouliveontheboulevardorinthealley9,you'regoingtocatchhelljustlikeIam.We'reallinthesameboatandweallaregoingtocatchthesamehellfromthesameman.Hejusthappenstobeawhiteman.Allofushavesufferedhere,inthiscountry,politicaloppressionatthehandsofthewhiteman,economicexploitationatthehandsofthewhiteman,andsocialdegradation10atthehandsofthewhiteman.Nowinspeakinglikethis,itdoesn'tmeanthatwe'reanti-white,butitdoesmeanwe'reanti-exploitation,we'reanti-degradation,we'reanti-oppression.Andifthewhitemandoesn'twantustobeanti-him,lethimstopoppressingandexploitinganddegradingus.WhetherweareChristians11orMuslimsornationalistsoragnosticsoratheists,wemustfirstlearntoforgetourdifferences.Ifwehavedifferences,letusdifferinthecloset;whenwecomeoutinfront,letusnothaveanythingtoargueaboutuntilwegetfinishedarguingwiththeman.IfthelatePresidentKennedycouldgettogetherwithKhrushchevandexchangesomewheat,wecertainlyhavemoreincommonwitheachotherthanKennedyandKhrushchevhadwitheachother.Ifwedon'tdosomethingrealsoon,Ithinkyou'llhavetoagreethatwe'regoingtobeforcedeithertousetheballotorthebullet.It'soneortheotherin1964.Itisn'tthattimeisrunningout-timehasrunout!

1964threatenstobethemostexplosiveyearAmericahaseverwitnessed.Themostexplosiveyear.Why?

It'salsoapoliticalyear.It'stheyearwhenallofthewhitepoliticianswillbebackintheso-calledNegrocommunityjivingyouandmeforsomevotes.Theyearwhenallofthewhitepoliticalcrooks12willberightbackinyourandmycommunitywiththeirfalsepromises,buildingupourhopesforaletdown,withtheirtrickeryandtheirtreachery,withtheirfalsepromiseswhichtheydon'tintendtokeep.Astheynourishthesedissatisfactions,itcanonlyleadtoonething,anexplosion;andnowwehavethetypeofblackmanonthesceneinAmericatoday-I'msorry,BrotherLomax-whojustdoesn'tintendtoturntheothercheekanylonger.Don'tletanybodytellyouanythingabouttheodds13areagainstyou.Iftheydraftyou,theysendyoutoKoreaandmakeyouface800millionChinese.Ifyoucanbebraveoverthere,youcanbebraverighthere.Theseoddsaren'tasgreatasthoseodds.Andifyoufighthere,youwillatleastknowwhatyou'refightingfor.I'mnotapolitician,notevenastudentofpolitics;infact,I'mnotastudentofmuchofanything.I'mnotaDemocrat14.I'mnotaRepublican,andIdon'tevenconsidermyselfanAmerican.IfyouandIwereAmericans,there'dbenoproblem.ThoseHonkiesthatjustgotofftheboat,they'realreadyAmericans;PolacksarealreadyAmericans;theItalianrefugeesarealreadyAmericans.EverythingthatcameoutofEurope,everyblue-eyedthing,isalreadyanAmerican.AndaslongasyouandIhavebeenoverhere,wearen'tAmericansyet.Well,Iamonewhodoesn'tbelieveindeluding15myself.I'mnotgoingtositatyourtableandwatchyoueat,withnothingonmyplate,andcallmyselfadiner.Sittingatthetabledoesn'tmakeyouadiner,unlessyoueatsomeofwhat'sonthatplate.BeinghereinAmericadoesn'tmakeyouanAmerican.BeingbornhereinAmericadoesn'tmakeyouanAmerican.Why,ifbirthmadeyouAmerican,youwouldn'tneedanylegislation;youwouldn'tneedanyamendments16totheConstitution;youwouldn'tbefacedwithcivil-rightsfilibustering18inWashington,D.C.,rightnow.Theydon'thavetopasscivil-rightslegislationtomakeaPolackanAmerican.No,I'mnotanAmerican.I'moneofthe22millionblackpeoplewhoarethevictimsofAmericanism.Oneofthe22millionblackpeoplewhoarethevictimsofdemocracy,nothingbutdisguisedhypocrisy19.So,I'mnotstanding2herespeakingtoyouasanAmerican,orapatriot20,oraflag-saluter,oraflag-waver-no,notI.I'mspeakingasavictimofthisAmericansystem.AndIseeAmericathroughtheeyesofthevictim.Idon'tseeanyAmericandream;IseeanAmericannightmare.These22millionvictimsarewakingup.Theireyesarecomingopen.They'rebeginningtoseewhattheyusedtoonlylookat.They'rebecomingpoliticallymature.Theyarerealizingthattherearenewpoliticaltrendsfromcoasttocoast.Astheyseethesenewpoliticaltrends,it'spossibleforthemtoseethateverytimethere'sanelectiontheracesaresoclosethattheyhavetohavearecount.TheyhadtorecountinMassachusettstoseewhowasgoingtobegovernor,itwassoclose.ItwasthesamewayinRhodeIsland,inMinnesota,andinmanyotherpartsofthecountry.AndthesamewithKennedyandNixonwhentheyranforpresident.Itwassoclosetheyhadtocountalloveragain.Well,whatdoesthismean?

Itmeansthatwhenwhitepeopleareevenlydivided,andblackpeoplehaveabloc21ofvotesoftheirown,itisleftuptothemtodeterminewho'sgoingtositintheWhiteHouseandwho'sgoingtobeinthedoghouse.lt.wastheblackman'svotethatputthepresentadministrationinWashington,D.C.Yourvote,yourdumbvote,yourignorantvote,yourwastedvoteputinanadministrationinWashington,D.C.,thathasseenfittopasseverykindoflegislationimaginable,savingyouuntillast,thenfilibusteringontopofthat.Andyourandmyleadershavetheaudacity22torunaroundclappingtheirhandsandtalkabouthowmuchprogresswe'remaking.Andwhatagoodpresidentwehave.Ifhewasn'tgoodinTexas,hesurecan'tbegoodinWashington,D.C.BecauseTexasisalynchstate.ItisinthesamebreathasMississippi,nodifferent;onlytheylynchyouinTexaswithaTexasaccentandlynchyouinMississippiwithaMississippiaccent.AndtheseNegroleadershavetheaudacitytogoandhavesomecoffeeintheWhiteHousewithaTexan,aSoutherncracker23-that'sallheis-andthencomeoutandtellyouandmethathe'sgoingtobebetterforusbecause,sincehe'sfromtheSouth,heknowshowtodealwiththeSoutherners.Whatkindoflogic24isthat?

LetEastlandbepresident,he'sfromtheSouthtoo.HeshouldbebetterabletodealwiththemthanJohnson.InthispresentadministrationtheyhaveintheHouseofRepresentatives257Democrats25toonly177Republicans.Theycontroltwo-thirdsoftheHousevote.Whycan'ttheypasssomethingthatwillhelpyouandme?

IntheSenate,thereare67senatorswhoareoftheDemocraticParty.Only33ofthemareRepublicans.Why,theDemocratshavegotthegovernmentsewedup,andyou'retheonewhoseweditupforthem.Andwhathavetheygivenyouforit?

Fouryearsinoffice,andjustnowgettingaroundtosomecivil-rightslegislation.Justnow,aftereverythingelseisgone,outoftheway,they'regoingtositdownnowandplaywithyouallsummerlong-thesameoldgiantcon4gamethattheycallfilibuster17.Allthoseareincahootstogether.Don'tyoueverthinkthey'renotincahootstogether,forthemanthatisheadingthecivil-rightsfilibusterisamanfromGeorgianamedRichardRussell.WhenJohnsonbecamepresident,thefirstmanheaskedforwhenhegotbacktoWashington,D.C.,was"Dicky"-that'showtighttheyare.That'shisboy,that'shispal26,that'shisbuddy27.Butthey'replayingthatoldcongame.Oneofthemmakesbelievehe'sforyou,andhe'sgotitfixed28wheretheotheroneissotightagainstyou,heneverhastokeephispromise.Soit'stimein1964towakeup.Andwhenyouseethemcomingupwiththatkindofconspiracy29,letthemknowyoureyesareopen.Andletthemknowyou-somethingelsethat'swideopentoo.It'sgottobetheballotorthebullet.Theballotorthebullet.Ifyou'reafraidtouseanexpressionlikethat,youshouldgetonoutofthecountry;youshouldgetbackinthecottonpatch;youshouldgetbackinthealley.TheygetalltheNegrovote,andaftertheygetit,theNegrogetsnothinginreturn