On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, “Is it safe?” Expediency asks the question, “Is it politic?” And Vanity comes along and asks the question, “Is it popular?” But Conscience asks the question “Is it right?” And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.”
-Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
In the last years of his life King received criticism not just from the segregationists in the South but even from Democratic Party leaders in the North and black leaders in the civil rights movement. He had started talking about worker’s rights, a more equitable distribution of wealth, and how unjust the war in Southeast Asia was.
The most polite thing I can recall him being called by his enemies was “troublemaker.” But he became a threat to the incomes of some of our most powerful individuals and corporations and that very well could have been what got him killed rather than civil rights.
There are quite a few really wonderful speeches besides his “dream speech, “although that is a magnificent piece of oratory. I heard the whole thing this morning. It’s only about 15 min. Most people only hear the speech beginning after his segue into the dream portion (that’s the point where he veered from his prepared text after Mahalia Jackson encouraged him to, “tell them about the dream Martin”). Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs
Below, the link will take you to a few poignant minutes snippet of King’s last speech (April 4, 1968)… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL4FOvIf7G8&feature=related
MAK
