经典英文演讲100篇43A Time to Break SilenceWord格式文档下载.docx

经典英文演讲100篇43A Time to Break SilenceWord格式文档下载.docx

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delivered4April1967atameetingofClergyandLaityConcernedatRiversideChurchinNewYorkCity

Icometothismagnificenthouseofworshiptonightbecausemyconscienceleavesmenootherchoice.IjoinyouinthismeetingbecauseIamindeepestagreementwiththeaimsandworkoftheorganizationwhichhasbroughtustogether:

ClergyandLaymenConcernedaboutVietnam.Therecentstatementsofyourexecutivecommitteearethesentimentsofmyownheart,andIfoundmyselfinfullaccordwhenIreaditsopeninglines:

"

Atimecomeswhensilenceisbetrayal."

AndthattimehascomeforusinrelationtoVietnam.

Thetruthofthesewordsisbeyonddoubt,butthemissiontowhichtheycallusisamostdifficultone.Evenwhenpressedbythedemandsofinnertruth,mendonoteasilyassumethetaskofopposingtheirgovernment'

spolicy,especiallyintimeofwar.Nordoesthehumanspiritmovewithoutgreatdifficultyagainstalltheapathyofconformistthoughtwithinone'

sownbosomandinthesurroundingworld.Moreover,whentheissuesathandseemasperplexedastheyoftendointhecaseofthisdreadfulconflict,wearealwaysonthevergeofbeingmesmerizedbyuncertainty;

butwemustmoveon.

Andsomeofuswhohavealreadybeguntobreakthesilenceofthenighthavefoundthatthecallingtospeakisoftenavocationofagony,butwemustspeak.Wemustspeakwithallthehumilitythatisappropriatetoourlimitedvision,butwemustspeak.Andwemustrejoiceaswell,forsurelythisisthefirsttimeinournation'

shistorythatasignificantnumberofitsreligiousleadershavechosentomovebeyondtheprophesyingofsmoothpatriotismtothehighgroundsofafirmdissentbaseduponthemandatesofconscienceandthereadingofhistory.Perhapsanewspiritisrisingamongus.Ifitis,letustraceitsmovementsandpraythatourowninnerbeingmaybesensitivetoitsguidance,forwearedeeplyinneedofanewwaybeyondthedarknessthatseemssoclosearoundus.

Overthepasttwoyears,asIhavemovedtobreakthebetrayalofmyownsilencesandtospeakfromtheburningsofmyownheart,asIhavecalledforradicaldeparturesfromthedestructionofVietnam,manypersonshavequestionedmeaboutthewisdomofmypath.Attheheartoftheirconcernsthisqueryhasoftenloomedlargeandloud:

Whyareyouspeakingaboutthewar,Dr.King?

Whyareyoujoiningthevoicesofdissent?

Peaceandcivilrightsdon'

tmix,"

theysay."

Aren'

tyouhurtingthecauseofyourpeople,"

theyask?

AndwhenIhearthem,thoughIoftenunderstandthesourceoftheirconcern,Iamneverthelessgreatlysaddened,forsuchquestionsmeanthattheinquirershavenotreallyknownme,mycommitmentormycalling.Indeed,theirquestionssuggestthattheydonotknowtheworldinwhichtheylive.

Inthelightofsuchtragicmisunderstanding,Ideemitofsignalimportancetotrytostateclearly,andItrustconcisely,whyIbelievethatthepathfromDexterAvenueBaptistChurch--thechurchinMontgomery,Alabama,whereIbeganmypastorate--leadsclearlytothissanctuarytonight.

Icometothisplatformtonighttomakeapassionatepleatomybelovednation.ThisspeechisnotaddressedtoHanoiortotheNationalLiberationFront.ItisnotaddressedtoChinaortoRussia.NorisitanattempttooverlooktheambiguityofthetotalsituationandtheneedforacollectivesolutiontothetragedyofVietnam.NeitherisitanattempttomakeNorthVietnamortheNationalLiberationFrontparagonsofvirtue,nortooverlooktheroletheymustplayinthesuccessfulresolutionoftheproblem.WhiletheybothmayhavejustifiablereasonstobesuspiciousofthegoodfaithoftheUnitedStates,lifeandhistorygiveeloquenttestimonytothefactthatconflictsareneverresolvedwithouttrustfulgiveandtakeonbothsides.

Tonight,however,IwishnottospeakwithHanoiandtheNationalLiberationFront,butrathertomyfellowed[sic]Americans,*who,withme,bearthegreatestresponsibilityinendingaconflictthathasexactedaheavypriceonbothcontinents.

SinceIamapreacherbytrade,IsupposeitisnotsurprisingthatIhavesevenmajorreasonsforbringingVietnamintothefieldofmymoralvision.*ThereisattheoutsetaveryobviousandalmostfacileconnectionbetweenthewarinVietnamandthestruggleI,andothers,havebeenwaginginAmerica.Afewyearsagotherewasashiningmomentinthatstruggle.Itseemedasiftherewasarealpromiseofhopeforthepoor--bothblackandwhite--throughthepovertyprogram.Therewereexperiments,hopes,newbeginnings.ThencamethebuildupinVietnam,andIwatchedthisprogrambrokenandeviscerated,asifitweresomeidlepoliticalplaythingofasocietygonemadonwar,andIknewthatAmericawouldneverinvestthenecessaryfundsorenergiesinrehabilitationofitspoorsolongasadventureslikeVietnamcontinuedtodrawmenandskillsandmoneylikesomedemonicdestructivesuctiontube.So,Iwasincreasinglycompelledtoseethewarasanenemyofthepoorandtoattackitassuch.

Perhapsthemoretragicrecognitionofrealitytookplacewhenitbecamecleartomethatthewarwasdoingfarmorethandevastatingthehopesofthepoorathome.Itwassendingtheirsonsandtheirbrothersandtheirhusbandstofightandtodieinextraordinarilyhighproportionsrelativetotherestofthepopulation.WeweretakingtheblackyoungmenwhohadbeencrippledbyoursocietyandsendingthemeightthousandmilesawaytoguaranteelibertiesinSoutheastAsiawhichtheyhadnotfoundinsouthwestGeorgiaandEastHarlem.AndsowehavebeenrepeatedlyfacedwiththecruelironyofwatchingNegroandwhiteboysonTVscreensastheykillanddietogetherforanationthathasbeenunabletoseatthemtogetherinthesameschools.Andsowewatchtheminbrutalsolidarityburningthehutsofapoorvillage,butwerealizethattheywouldhardlyliveonthesameblockinChicago.Icouldnotbesilentinthefaceofsuchcruelmanipulationofthepoor.

Mythirdreasonmovestoanevendeeperlevelofawareness,foritgrowsoutofmyexperienceintheghettoesoftheNorthoverthelastthreeyears--especiallythelastthreesummers.AsIhavewalkedamongthedesperate,rejected,andangryyoungmen,IhavetoldthemthatMolotovcocktailsandrifleswouldnotsolvetheirproblems.Ihavetriedtoofferthemmydeepestcompassionwhilemaintainingmyconvictionthatsocialchangecomesmostmeaningfullythroughnonviolentaction.Buttheyask--andrightlyso--whataboutVietnam?

Theyaskifourownnationwasn'

tusingmassivedosesofviolencetosolveitsproblems,tobringaboutthechangesitwanted.Theirquestionshithome,andIknewthatIcouldneveragainraisemyvoiceagainsttheviolenceoftheoppressedintheghettoswithouthavingfirstspokenclearlytothegreatestpurveyorofviolenceintheworldtoday--myowngovernment.Forthesakeofthoseboys,forthesakeofthisgovernment,forthesakeofthehundredsofthousandstremblingunderourviolence,Icannotbesilent.

Forthosewhoaskthequestion,"

tyouacivilrightsleader?

andtherebymeantoexcludemefromthemovementforpeace,Ihavethisfurtheranswer.In1957whenagroupofusformedtheSouthernChristianLeadershipConference,wechoseasourmotto:

TosavethesoulofAmerica."

Wewereconvincedthatwecouldnotlimitourvisiontocertainrightsforblackpeople,butinsteadaffirmedtheconvictionthatAmericawouldneverbefreeorsavedfromitselfuntilthedescendantsofitsslaveswereloosedcompletelyfromtheshacklestheystillwear.InawaywewereagreeingwithLangstonHughes,thatblackbardofHarlem,whohadwrittenearlier:

O,yes,

Isayitplain,

AmericaneverwasAmericatome,

AndyetIswearthisoath--

Americawillbe!

Now,itshouldbeincandescentlyclearthatnoonewhohasanyconcernfortheintegrityandlifeofAmericatodaycanignorethepresentwar.IfAmerica'

ssoulbecomestotallypoisoned,partoftheautopsymustread:

Vietnam.Itcanneverbesavedsolongasitdestroysthedeepesthopesofmentheworldover.SoitisthatthoseofuswhoareyetdeterminedthatAmericawillbeareleddownthepathofprotestanddissent,workingforthehealthofourland.

AsiftheweightofsuchacommitmenttothelifeandhealthofAmericawerenotenough,anotherburdenofresponsibilitywasplaceduponmein1954**[sic];

andIcannotforgetthattheNobelPrizeforPeacewasalsoacommission--acommissiontoworkharderthanIhadeverworkedbeforefor"

thebrotherhoodofman."

Thisisacallingthattakesmebeyondnationalallegiances,butevenifitwerenotpresentIwouldyethavetolivewiththemeaningofmycommitmenttotheministryofJesusChrist.TometherelationshipofthisministrytothemakingofpeaceissoobviousthatIsometimesmarvelatthosewhoaskmewhyI'

mspeakingagainstthewar.Coulditbethattheydonotknowthatthegoodnewswasmeantforallmen--forCommunistandcapitalist,fortheirchildrenandours,forblackandforwhite,forrevolutionaryandconservative?

HavetheyforgottenthatmyministryisinobediencetotheOnewholovedhisenemiessofullythathediedforthem?

WhatthencanIsaytotheVietcongortoCastroortoMaoasafaithfulministerofthisOne?

CanIthreatenthemwithdeathormustInotsharewiththemmylife?

Andfinally,asItrytoexplainforyouandformyselftheroadthatleadsfromMontgomerytothisplaceIwouldhaveofferedallthatwasmostvalid