MLK's greatest speech: Opposition to War in Vietnam

Even though the festivities to install the national monument in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were canceled this weekend in Washington, D.C., I pause today to contemplate the full message behind one of King's most poignant sermons, "Why I Am Opposed to the War in Vietnam." Some of his pronouncements about war monies being taken from social programs ring true today and should give conservatives something to ponder and others specific marching orders.

Delivered far after King's "I have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963 and his Nobel lecture delivered on December 11, 1964, King gave his message at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on April 30, 1967. His was a bold move, for those previously in his camp began to criticize him for not sticking to civil rights issues and crossing the line into human rights. Less than one year later, King was assassinated.

King began his remarks by quoting Dante: "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 is betrayal."

Unfortunately, the way our country and the media are being operated today is worse than it was in 1967 when the unemployed and poor people are at issue. To listen to the speech, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b80Bsw0UG-U. For a full transcript, go to http://www.husseini.org/2007/01/martin-luther-king-jr-why-i-am.html .

©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.