Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail-a must read!

[Democrat Dragon]

someone e-mailed this to me yesterday and I think everyone on DU should read it:

http://almaz.com/nobel/peace/MLK-jail.html

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant 'Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws.

[BobF]

1. Always worth a read...

Whenever I begin to feel that this country is beyond redemption, I know it's time to read some more of Dr. King's writings.

Especially this one.

Thanks for giving me the first 'Positive Vibe' of this miserable day.

[ultraist]

2. People should read the entire letter

I posted excerpts of it on the cracker thread. It's a powerful piece.

[mattclearing]

3. One of the all-time great progressive writings.

If, thousands of years from now, the only thing that people remember from the last fifty years is Letter from Birmingham Jail and the Beatles, I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

A fantastic piece of work. Anyone who hasn't read it needs to.

[Swamp Rat]

4. "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

kick

[Democrat Dragon]

5. kick

[Democrat Dragon]

6. kick

[journalist3072]

7. Letter from Birmingham Jail

I think it should be required reading in every grade school classroom.

I remember when one of King daugthers (can't remember whether it was Yolanda or Bernice) was doing an interview, and she said one time this little boy walked up to hear and told her he could recite the entire letter, word for word, by heart. She was amazed and told him "I can't even do that!"

[FreedomAngel82]

9. That's amazing

I wonder now if they still teach about him. I know whenever I have kids someday I want them to remember him.

[FreedomAngel82]

8. Great letter

This was my favorite part: <If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws.>
So he would be against BushCo. :)

[H2O Man]

10. If Martin were here today

he would be leading peaceful protests and spending time in jail. If we want to find Martin today in America, then we have to take up those same activities.

I often think of part of one of Martin's favorite poems. It's by James Russell Lowell, and Martin often changed the wording slightly:

Once to every man and nation
Comes the moment to decide
In the strife of truth and falsehood
For the good or evil side;

Some great cause God's new Messiah
Offering each the gloom or blight
And the choice goes by forever
Twixt that darkness and that light.

Though the cause of evil prosper
Yet 'tis truth alone is strong
Though her portion be the scaffold
And upon the throne be wrong

Yet that scaffold sways the future
And behind that dim unknown
Standeth God within the shadow
Keeping watch above his own.

Our generation is being given a choice now, here, today. Our choice is to trust in the message of Martin Luther King, Jr., or to put our faith in the message of George W. Bush. They are as opposite as day and night, and as different as light and darkness. We must make our choice, as we are given that opportunity today, or it will pass us by forever ..... and though we may one day encounter another choice that looks similar, maybe even smells almost the same .... it will not be the same choice.

Honor Martin Luther King, Jr. by peacefully protesting the immoral Bush policies at every opportunity.

[journalist3072]

11. You're absolutely right...

I truly believe that if Dr. King were alive today, he would be out in front of the issues of the day.

I believe that if he were here, his isssues would be:

1. Reducing the current African-American unemployment rate

2. Reducing the gap between the haves and the have nots

3. Protecting affirmative action

4. Speaking out against predatory lending

5. Speaking out againt the war in Iraq

6. Calling on the United States to take a leadership role to address the genocide in Sudan

Just my opinion, but I think those would be some of his issues.

[H2O Man]

12. I suspect that

if we look at his speech "A Time to Break Silence," (popularly known as "Beyond Vietnam"), and change the word "Vietnam" to "Iraq," that we would have a pretty good idea what Martin would be saying were he alive "in person." I'm convinced that if each of us were to read this, and changed the thought of "Martin should be doing that" to "I should be doing that," then the spirit of Martin would help lift our nation, and his message help to heal the sickness and savagery of our nation.

[journalist3072]

13. Couldn't agree with you more.....

It's so amazing to me how far ahead of his time Dr. King was. All you have to do is go back and read his anti-Vietnam speeches, and replace Vietnam with Iraq, and presto!

Isn't that sad, though? It just goes to show you that there really isn't anything new under the sun.

[H2O Man]

14. Interesting thought!

I agree that there really isn't anything new under the sun. Life offers certain choices. I think that King actually fit his time: he was called forth by events in history, and he was exactly what it took to keep this nation from being totally engulfed in hatred and violence. Like Gandhi in his day, Martin offered a sane path out of the wilderness.

Today we face similar hatred and violence. Yet we have another option: rather than have another individual suffer and sacrifice in that role, we can all make it a part of ourselves. Because that is the higher meaning of what King spoke of -- a transformation of people in their day-to-day lives, doing on a smaller scale what he did on the larger scale.