[HCCN] Fwd: Veterans For Peace Remembers Martin Luther King Jr. in 2010

[Judy Robbins]

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> From: Veterans For Peace <vfp at veteransforpeace.net>
>
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> Remembering King in 2010
> Written by Executive Director, Michael McPhearson
>
> As our nation celebrates the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,  
> one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, it is  
> important to remember the breadth and depth of his the message and  
> vision. In the era of the first Black President, it would be easy  
> to say King's dream has been fulfilled and now it is time to move  
> on to new challenges. But this is a misreading of current events  
> and his words.
>
> In his 1967 Riverside Church speech, Beyond Vietnam: Time to Break  
> Silence, Dr. King talked about three major demons; racism,  
> materialism and militarism.[i] Today these triplets continue to  
> haunt us. In fact they have become more entrenched. In the speech,  
> King spoke of youth challenging his disapproval of their use of  
> violence when the U.S. was "...using massive doses of  
> violence..."[ii] in Vietnam. He called our government, "the  
> greatest purveyor of violence in the world today." This continues  
> to be true as our nation is conducting global military operations  
> and occupying two countries with eyes on one or two others. The  
> U.S. is the largest weapons exporter in the world and has the  
> largest military budget, nearly outpacing all other nations combined.
>
> Racism continues to distort the promise of America as people of  
> color have the highest unemployment rates and are blocked from  
> access to resources and opportunity. Speculation and greed caused  
> by rampant materialism has ravaged our economy, devastating the  
> lives of millions, hitting working class and poor people especially  
> hard. The economic and social currents created by the triplets flow  
> together and work hand in hand to divert resources to war for  
> profit's sake and empire building rather than investing in  
> healthcare, education, jobs, housing and other human needs that  
> would uplift the poor and help change the insidious legacy of  
> slavery and Jim Crow.
>
> Perhaps Dr. King's most prophetic words come from this speech when  
> he warned, "The war in Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper  
> malady within the American spirit, and if we ignore this sobering  
> reality we will find ourselves organizing clergy- and laymen- 
> concerned committees for the next generation."[iii]
>
> We find ourselves today as the clergy and laypersons organizing in  
> our generation. As we remember Dr. King we must applaud how far we  
> have come. We must also reflect on how far we have yet to go, and  
> challenge others to see Dr. King's full vision of a just and  
> peaceful world. He called for a true revolution of values that will  
> cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past  
> and present policies and see that using war to settle our  
> differences is not just. He called on America to lead this  
> revolution of values.
>
> "There is nothing, except a tragic death wish, to prevent us from  
> reordering our priorities, so that the pursuit of peace will take  
> precedence over the pursuit of war."[iv]
>
> Dr. King wisely saw then what is still true today, that the world's  
> only hope "...lies in our ability to recapture the revolutionary  
> spirit and go out into a sometimes hostile world declaring eternal  
> hostility to poverty, racism, and militarism."[v]
>
> This is how we ensure international security. This is how we stop  
> nuclear proliferation and reverse global warming.
>
> This January 18th remember Dr. King by proclaiming his full  
> message. Do not stand by while it is watered down to make us all  
> feel good. Celebrate the journey we have taken, but remind everyone  
> how far we have to go. Will our nation take up the challenge? As  
> Dr. King said, "The choice is ours, and though we might prefer it  
> otherwise we must choose in this crucial moment of human history."[vi]
>
>
>
> VETERANS WORKING TOGETHER FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE THROUGH NON-VIOLENCE.
> Veterans For Peace, 216 S. Meramec, St. Louis, MO 63105, 314-725-6005
> www.veteransforpeace.org
>
> We also encourage you to join our ranks.
>
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