...communism is a judgment against our failure to make democracy real and follow through on the revolutions that we initiated
Ian Bicking has a commemoration of MLK, Jr. and he chose to quote from one of his last speeches.
What a beautiful choice. The mainstream media tends to choose quotes and clips from many years earlier when his focus was still primarily civil rights for African Americans.
King was beginning to shine the Light on society's even greater ills. These are neither as obvious nor as easy to resolve as were civil rights. And so they're still with us and he was assassinated not long after this speech.
"Why are you speaking about the war, Dr. King? Why are you joining the voices of dissent?" "Peace and civil rights don't mix," they say. "Aren't you hurting the cause of your people?" they ask. And when I hear them, though I often understand the source of their concern, I am nevertheless greatly saddened, for such questions mean that the inquirers have not really known me, my commitment, or my calling. Indeed, their questions suggest that they do not know the world in which they live. In the light of such tragic misunderstanding, I deem it of signal importance to try to state clearly, and I trust concisely, why I believe that the path from Dexter Avenue Baptist Church -- the church in Montgomery, Alabama, where I began my pastorate -- leads clearly to this sanctuary tonight.
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