A Reflection on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” Speech

Embed This Player

Download: H.264/AAC mp4 file Creative Commons License

Tell us about your experience with this online video, click here.

Description

A Reflection on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” Speech
 
One of Martin Luther King Jr.’s lesser known yet equally impactful speeches, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” condemns the violence and atrocities committed by the U.S against the Vietnamese in their foolish bid to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. He highlights the intricacies and parallels of the war waged in Vietnam and against the poor in the U.S as one reflected in the interactions between the three threats facing democracy — racism, classism, and militarism. The world’s strongest and largest military claiming aggression from a poor small country on the other side of the world and their continuous assault of defenseless Vietnamese villagers reads as bleak irony. He goes as far as to declare the U.S government as the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today, with such anti-American and anti-military sentiments later eroding his reputation and receiving widespread criticism, accusations of communist affiliation, and even mental instability.
 
He spoke to the hypocrisy of the American government; a nation defined by its commitment to freedom and independence yet contradictory in its support of France’s quest to reclaim their former colony. He emphasizes the imbalance of casualties felt by either side of the war, citing hospitals in Vietnam overcrowded with those injured from American firepower rather than the enemy Viet Cong, or National Liberation Front. Questioning the morality of sustaining an unjust war, he called for a unilateral ceasefire from all fronts and a massive upheaval of the American values praising the cause for war.
 
Giving a voice to the voiceless in Vietnam as well as the often ignored American poor even at the risk of losing most of his popular support struck a chord with me. In calling out the contradictory actions of his own government, he exposed flaws within what we as Americans prioritize over livable wages, universal healthcare, affordable housing, and equal opportunity transcending class, race, and gender. His condemnation of the ever-expanding military industrial complex rings true, especially in today’s political climate with President Trump’s proposed $54 billion increase to military spending at the expense of the Environmental Protection Agency, the State Department, and numerous welfare and aid programs. Beyond Vietnam and continuing today, Martin Luther King’s urgent call to action for social change through nonviolence lives on.
 
Linda Ayer, ?????

Order Now!

Summary

  • Production Date: 05/04/2017
  • Catalog Number: none
  • Archive Number: 10949
  • Series: none
  • Length: *1:26:22
  • Town: Burlington
  • Geography: Burlington
  • Event Type: General
  • Content Type: Other

Airtimes

1 Monday May 8, 2017 at 6:00 PM
2 Tuesday May 9, 2017 at 10:00 PM
3 Wednesday May 10, 2017 at 3:00 AM
4 Wednesday May 10, 2017 at 9:00 AM
5 Thursday May 18, 2017 at 1:00 PM
6 Sunday May 21, 2017 at 4:30 PM
7 Monday May 22, 2017 at 6:00 PM
8 Wednesday May 24, 2017 at 2:30 PM
9 Thursday May 25, 2017 at 1:00 PM
10 Thursday February 1, 2018 at 6:00 PM

Worker

Charlie Giannoni

Related Issues

Related Tags

    Featured Story

    Applications Now Open for the Spring/Summer 2024 Cohort of the Neighborhood Community Media Internship Program at Town Meeting TV

    Town Meeting TV is excited to announce that applications are now open for the Spring/Summer 2024 cohort of the Neighborhood Community Media Internship program. Join 8 other youth to engage in interesting media making projects! This paid media internship opportunity is designed for youth aged 16-20 who are eager to gain professional experience in the audio-visual field and develop a deeper understanding of their local community. 5 of these spots are specifically for students who are part of the Burlington My Brother's Keeper/My Sister's Keeper programs. The group will meet under the leadership of Town Meeting TV's Travis Washington from the beginning of April 2024 to the end of August 2024, on a schedule agreed upon by the whole cohort. Click here to apply!

    Read more...

    More News from the Center for Media and Democracy