Martin Luther King Opposes War In Iraq

From yesterday’s Stanford Report, the daily publication of the Stanford News Service:

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BEGAN AN APRIL 4, 1967, speech, “Beyond Vietnam,” which he delivered at Riverside Church in New York City, with the words: “I come to this magnificent house of worship tonight because my conscience leaves me no other choice.” Tonight, at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Church, actor ALDO BILLINGSLEA, an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Santa Clara University, will deliver a dramatic reading of the speech, as edited by CLAYBORNE CARSON, professor of history and editor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Papers. Folk singer JOAN BAEZ will perform at the event, which is sponsored by Veterans for Peace Inc. The text of the speech can be found on the Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Project website at www.stanford.edu/group/King/. In tonight’s presentation, Billingslea will substitute the word “Iraq” for “Vietnam.

Say What? (6)

  1. CGHill February 21, 2003 at 10:21 am | | Reply

    I think I’ll work up a presentation of Lincoln’s address at Gettysburg, changing “people” to “weasels” as appropriate.

    Makes as much sense.

  2. PG February 21, 2003 at 3:44 pm | | Reply

    Because

    a 1960s war in which we fought a socialist government that opposed America but had not made war upon us, on the principle that we had to prevent a future evil (the spread of Communism and strengthening of our enemy, the USSR) and that the war was for the people’s own good — a war that diverted attention and resources from pressing domestic problems;

    is completely different from

    a 2003 war in which we fight a socialist government that opposes America but has not made war upon us, on the principle that we have to prevent a future evil (the spread of WMDs and strengthening of our enemy, anti-American radical Islam) and that the war is for the people’s own good– a war that diverts attention and resources from pressing domestic problems.

    This actor delivering the speech must be just as dumb as a brick not to get it.

    Seriously, there are major differences between the war in Vietnam and the coming war in Iraq, particularly in Vietnam’s Communism as rebellion against French colonialism and as semi- democratic and sympathetic to the people. There was far less reason for war in Vietnam than there is against Saddam’s dictatorship, and I think the person giving this speech will have to make many more alterations than the mere substitution of “Iraq” for “Vietnam.”

    But to pretend that there are no parallels whatsover is too much. And the parallels will be heightened in regard to the Kurds if we follow our present plan to force them to submit either to a hostile Turkish government or an unfriendly Shiite one. This after having lived in near-independence for several years.

    “They must see Americans as strange liberators.”

    I doubt any promises of democracy made to Iraq; I doubt that Bush will allow a probably anti-American leader to be elected into office. The next leader of Iraq will be one who permits us to use his country for any future Middle East actions.

    “When Saddam was overthrown they may have been happy, but the long line of military dictators seemed to offer no real change, especially in terms of their need for democracy and peace.”

    I’ll leave the predictions about the number of Iraqi civilians who will be killed in Baghdad street fighting to someone else.

    “They wander into the hospitals with at least twenty casualties from American firepower for one Baathist-inflicted injury.”

    And the last part of King’s speech, in which he expands his critique “Beyond Vietnam,” will, I think, be heard by the leftist audience as both prescient and a reminder of a larger struggle.

  3. Hello;

    You are invited to examine content relating to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Iraq at:

    url http://www.marcusgarveylibrary.org.uk on the medilinks page. The link is titled

    Conflict and Resolution Iraq.

    Thank you for your interest.

    kwsl consultant researcher

    community health and planning; plant science

  4. lucy November 3, 2003 at 3:50 pm | | Reply

    “…..You are invited to examine content relating to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Iraq at: url http://www.marcusgarveylibrary.org.uk on the medilinks page…..”

    Thanks for the link.

    “Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man’s sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” – Martin Luther King

  5. Peter Jones December 20, 2003 at 5:56 am | | Reply

    The reverend King would have definitely spoken out against the war in Iraq and other controversial events. He would definitely shake things up politically today, a real shame he’s not around to offer his moral perspective.

  6. Lynda August 29, 2004 at 3:28 pm | | Reply

    I’ve just read that idiot’s comment, in which he called my son dumb. Only a raging lunatic (such and dubya) would call the war in Iraq a just war. It only require the thought of a reasonable man to know just how stupid the comment was.

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