Martin Luther King, Jr., would be 77 years old today. He was killed 17 months before I was born, and I was named, in large part, after him. Today is a good day to ponder his wisdom and leadership. Today is also a day to mourn his assassination.
In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.- Martin Luther King Jr.
It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important.- Martin Luther King Jr.
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.- Martin Luther King Jr.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.- Martin Luther King Jr.
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.- Martin Luther King Jr.
When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative.- Martin Luther King Jr.
The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.- Martin Luther King Jr.
All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem.- Martin Luther King Jr.
The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers.- Martin Luther King Jr.
I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.- Martin Luther King Jr.
Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.- Martin Luther King Jr., December 11, 1964
Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: – ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’- Martin Luther King Jr.
I submit to you that if a man hasn’t discovered something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.- Martin Luther King Jr.
Happy Birthday, Martin L. King.
I have been to the motel, now a historical monument to him, in Memphis. They are trying hard to preserve it for such. They were having trouble finding funding for this renewal of site and care, a few years back, so I was told. Then, it was degrading badly and needed lots of repair and care. This must neven be allowed to happen. I gave money for this, too.
A story: When I was in college, studying liberal arts and doing my prereq. for nursing, of course I had to take speech. We all know how intimidating that can be. We had to study his “I HAVE A DREAM SPEACH”. In those days, I was not interested in this sort of thing, sad to say. I was interested in ending the Vietnam War, communicating with fellow vets and getting on with my life. I could have cared less about such a thing. Consequently, I got bad marks for my interpretation of said speach.
Now, it has become one of my most revered speeches ever too be given. I know, don’t tell me, how low I was then…I really was..I had other priorities..not just this….:o( Anyhow, I want to say, I have become to appreciate the most minute` particles of said speach. I just had to say this.
Oh and BTW, just so you know, I am and was never racist, then nor now. I have and did have many close and good friends of said color not only black, but others as well. Example: one of my friends, while in the military, took me to a home of their color (Negro) for my 21st birthday. It was only myself and my date that was there, that were white. I felt terribly honored by this action. I sincerely enjoyed myself to the point, that I would have never regretted my action for this, ever. I look back on this day in MY history, and rejoice for having that memory.
Blessings and love go out to the MLKing family.
it is the most moving speech I’ve ever seen or heard or read. I hope that someone plays it all the way through today or tomorrow.
Martin, I have looked back on my said history, and think to myself, on just how much I did miss out on back then, due to my set priorities. I suppose, that does come with some maturity in me.
Thanks for the memories now, tho. Hugs and hope you are doing well.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvellous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realise that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
He was an incredible human being.
Thanks for all the wonderful quotes here, some old and familiar, some new.
I hope it will come true, all the way true, one day or tomorrow…
Your diary brought to mind a great tribute to Gandhi by William Shirer who had known both Gandhi and Hitler during their heyday.MLK, of course, was a great admirer of Gandhi himself.
In the tribute, Shirer says that both Hitler and Gandhi were able to command the loyalty of vast numbers of people,but with one difference. Hitler’s loyalty was based on fear and the threat of violence was ever present during his frenzied speeches.Shirer says that at one of the huge rallies in Berlin he felt that the German crowd incensed at Americans would tear him from limb to limb.
By contrast, Gandhi was always careful not to incite the crowds to take action against Westerners.He used to say that the common people in Britain were India’s allies and that India needs to treat them with respect.The only quarrel India has is with the British Empire.
Shirer remarks that long after India became independent of British rule, Gandhi’s influence can still be felt as the number of British citizens living and doing business have far surpassed during the heyday of the Raj.
Something similar has also happened in our country because of MLK.We have reached a point in our society where open racism has become less tolerated and our differences are seen as strengths, not weaknesses.
And all because of one committed man.
Thank you, Boo Man, for this diary.
It’s even better when you hear it. I put it on my blog, the direct link is here for the audio.
Pax
Disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood. Oh and by the way……not to put too much stress on ya but the hope of a secure and livable world lies with you.
I also recommend this wonderful article about MLK.
We would’ve been blogging for King if such technology existed, that’s for sure.
Notice that the WaPo was just as biased and pro-establishment then as it is today.
Pax
(((Notice that the WaPo was just as biased and pro-establishment then as it is today))
soj, sure it was and is. Look at who the owner was..with the last name Graham. He was in thick with the cia back in those days. Their ethics and standards were set back then and have not been revised…well, maybe, some for the worst…:o) Just a nasty word on my part.
have you read this Jefferson Morley piece about how his JFK scoop was treated by the WP editorial board?
It’s very instructive.
wow… amazing stuff. I’m reading it now. Thanks!
Pax
Yes. The best evidence I’ve seen of CIA complicity.
At a minimum it shows that Oswald was serving some purpose and it was very closely held. It reminds me of the San Diego hijackers. On the CIA radar, living with an FBI informant, and then they turn on us. Did we cover up connections to avoid embarrasment, or to protect sources and methods, were the murderers selected for precisely their embarrasment value? Or something worse.
The article is startling too, in that Morley still works at the Post, but was happy to tell the truth about how they refuse to piss off the CIA.
I commend you, booman, for your article. I am of the fabric that the cia was involved, up to its eyeballs on this. May I ask when it was that ghwb took charge at the cia? when did he do his stent as a congresscritter? how does the now cia director peter goss fit in to the cascade of things? how does goss fit in with barry seal? how did the bush boys fit in with barry seal? oh how i could go on and on. I know, shut the f**k up! how did the late deep throat fit in to this whole thing what with his involvement with hoover? I just have so many questions I would love to have answered, is all.
oh and am I wrong inthe fact that the prelude to the special forces was the sas?
POPPY served two terms as a Representative to Congress from Texas (67-71). Twice he ran unsuccessfully for the Senate (64 and 70). Then he was appointed to a series of high-level positions: Ambassador to the United Nations (71-73), Chairman of the Republican National Committee (73-74), Chief of the U. S. Liaison Office in the People’s Republic of China(74-75), and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency(75-77).
He may have worked for the CIA in the early sixties but that has never been confirmed.
Porter Goss’s career in the CIA spanned 1960-1971 and he did work in Mexico. Not much more is known about what he did, but it’s possible he had some connection to the Mexico City Station in 1963.
Barry Seal? That’s a whole other story.
Very very interesting… read the whole thing.
What strikes me as the obvious future lead is the missing declassified 17 months worth of reports out of the psywar campaign in Miami.
Don’t know if you ever read the Cuban state-run websites (in English) but this article says David Atlee Philips (codename Bishop) was running the show down there.
And there are several Cuban websites which say Luis Posada Carilles has some kind of ties to all this psywar stuff from the 1960’s.
And this one says Poppy Bush was an agent as of 1959. Worth a look if nothing else.
And check out thislittle nugget:
Pax
You would have made a hell of a President!
The older I get, the more I look, learn and listen.; the more I KNOW:
YOU DA MAN, MLK!
Happy Birthday. Thank you for giving us your dream.
Glen