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"America,
the richest and most powerful nation in the world, can well lead
the way in this revolution of values. There is nothing,
except a tragic death wish, to prevent us from re-ordering our priorities,
so that the pursuit of peace will take precedence over the pursuit
of war."
–"Beyond Vietnam: Breaking the Silence," April 4,1967
"A
nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military
defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual
death."
-"Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?," 1967
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MLK
Day is a challenging holiday for many of us. While holidays are
generally meant to give us time to rest and enjoy our friends and families,
it seems odd to sit down on the day meant to commemorate the legacy of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
We think
he was the best: courageous, smart, gifted, and constantly working to
widen and improve his analysis and plan of action. He had a vision of
a better world, and he spent his life dedicated to making it a reality.
And he did, indeed, make the world a better place.
It
is distressing to find his words about war and peace as true today as
they were when he wrote them in the midst of the Vietnam war. However,
it's also inspiring to see how very right he was, and to feel the power
of his message.
We hope we
can find a way to do it right on Monday. Find inspiration in his words,
explore opportunities in our neighborhood, and get recharged and recommitted
to the ideas of peace and justice.
Below are
some quotes from his vast works, and a few
ideas for action. Thanks for all you do. The world
has become no less complicated since MLK was around, and the need to dedicate
ourselves to a vision of a better world has become all the more urgent.
Get
active on MLK Day: Some ideas
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Make
it a day ON, not a day OFF
MLK Day of Service: Click
here to see a list of events across the country.
Click
here to see the WAND Field News page on our web site, where
several events are listed. |
The
King Day of Service is a way to transform Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr.’s life and teachings into community service that helps
solve social problems. That service may meet a tangible need --
such as fixing up a school or senior center -- or it may meet a
need of the spirit -- such as building a sense of community or mutual
responsibility.
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The words of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr.
The
World House Essay
One
of the best places to begin a review of MLK works is The
World House Essay.
King
begins his essay by suggesting that we have inherited a large house,
a "world house" in which we must somehow learn to live
together in peace, as a family widely separated in ideas, culture,
and interest. We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters
-- or together we will perish as fools.
He
says that we suffer from a poverty of the spirit that stands in
sharp contrast to our scientific and technological advances. The
richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally
and spiritually.
"It
is not enough to say, 'We must not wage war.' It is necessary to
love peace and sacrifice for it. We must concentrate not merely
on the eradication of war but on the affirmation of peace... we
must see that peace represents a sweeter music, a cosmic melody
that is far superior to the discords of war.
"Somehow
we must transform the dynamics of the world power struggle from
the nuclear arms race, which no one can win, to a creative contest
to harness man’s genius for the purpose of making peace and
prosperity a reality for all the nations of the world. In short,
we must shift the arms race into a 'peace race.' If we
have the will and determination to mount such a peace offensive,
we will unlock hitherto tightly sealed doors of hope and bring new
light into the dark chambers of pessimism."
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| From
Other Speeches
"The
rich nations must use their vast resources of wealth to develop
the underdeveloped, school the unschooled and feed the unfed. The
well-off and the secure have too often become indifferent and oblivious
to the poverty and deprivation in their midst. The poor in our countries
have been shut out of our minds, and driven from the mainstream
of our societies, because we have allowed them to become invisible.
Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation. No individual
or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for 'the least
of these.'...
"A
final problem that mankind must solve in order to survive in the
world house that we have inherited is finding an alternative to
war and human destruction. Recent events have vividly reminded us
that nations are not reducing but rather increasing their arsenals
of weapons of mass destruction. The best brains in the highly developed
nations of the world are devoted to military technology. The proliferation
of nuclear weapons has not been halted, in spite of the limited-test-ban
treaty.
"In
this day of man's highest technical achievement, in this day of
dazzling discovery, of novel opportunities, loftier dignities and
fuller freedoms for all, there is no excuse for the kind of blind
craving for power and resources that provoked the wars of previous
generations...
"The
large power blocs talk passionately of pursuing peace while expanding
defense budgets that already bulge, enlarging already awesome armies
and devising ever more devastating weapons. Call the roll
of those who sing the glad tidings of peace and one’s ears
will be surprised by the responding sounds. The heads of all the
nations issue clarion calls for peace, yet they come to the peace
table accompanied by bands of brigands each bearing unsheathed swords.
"Before
it is too late, we must narrow the gaping chasm between our proclamations
of peace and our lowly deeds which precipitate and perpetuate war.
We are called upon to look up from the quagmire of military programs
and defense commitments and read the warnings on history’s
signposts.
"One
day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal
that we seek but a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must
pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means. How much longer must
we play at deadly war games before we heed the plaintive pleas of
the unnumbered dead and maimed of past wars?" |
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