King Was Killed Speaking Truth to Power
The Question: The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated 40 years ago. What are your memories of that day? What impact did it have on you? How is King relevant to you and to us today?
On April 4, 1968 I was in my dorm room at Smith College when I heard someone yelling, “Dr. King has been killed.” I rushed out and there on the television in the lounge was the news bulletin. “Dr. King has been killed.” I went back to my room alone and beat my fists on the top of my dresser until they were bloody.
On my campus and on campuses around the country where students were inspired by Dr. King to do voter registration and protest the Vietnam war, the grief was over-whelming. The person who was standing up for justice and inspiring us to do the same had just been killed. I remember it as though it were yesterday.
This is a solemn day, this 40th anniversary of the day that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace, was assassinated. In my adult life I have heard so many stupid speeches about Dr. King that blather on about how he “gave his life for freedom.” He didn’t give his life; it was taken. He was shot by an assassin because he had dared to speak the truth to power about race, about poverty and about war.
Yet, these days, the conservative co-optation of Dr. King is in full flower. Five years ago I was on a Nightline special about whether we should attack Iraq, a country that had not attacked us, and Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention quoted Dr. King in his argument in support of pre-emptive war. Rev. Rod Parsley, who believes we are in a cosmic and earthly war with Islam, who liberally laces his sermons and speeches with images of war and violence, in one sermon asked God for another Dr. King. “Give us somebody like Martin—what poor whites called Dr. King.” Why? Well, Rev. Parsley wants another Dr. King so that he will thunder against “the thirty-forty liberal pastors who filed against our ministry with the Internal Revenue Service.”
That is not Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1968, after the successes of civil rights and voting rights legislation, Dr. King was beginning to take on poverty and the war in Viet Nam. Two months before he was shot, while I was a student at Smith, Dr. King was sitting in the cafeteria of Chicago Theological Seminary on the south side of Chicago, talking with Dr. Calvin Morris. Dr. Morris, Dr. King, Rev. Jackson and many others had started Operation Breadbasket in our seminary cafeteria because when Dr. King first came to Chicago, the pulpits and even some of the doors of African American churches were closed to him. With the support of CTS President Howard Schomer and many of our faculty and students, they began to work for economic justice and an end to the Viet Nam war as well as civil rights.
In that winter of 1968, Dr. King was trying to build an interracial movement to end the war in Viet Nam and to bring about greater economic equality. Poverty and war, these challenges were daunting even after the civil and legal successes of 1964 and 1965.
Sunday, March 31, 1968, Dr. King spoke at the National Cathedral. He called on Americans to look toward one another for a way forward. “We are tied together in a single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality,” Dr. King said. “And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the way God’s universe is made; this is the way it is structured.”
In Dr. King’s theological vision, there is not only blessing, but also judgment on this nation. “Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation.” And has America measured up? No. “America has not met its obligations and its responsibilities to the poor.” Yes, we have done great things with our “scientific and technological power,” but when we stand before the God of history, that God will ask us, did you do justice?
“It seems that I can hear the God of history saying, ‘That was not enough! I was devoid of a decent sanitary house to live in, and ye provided no shelter for me. And consequently, you cannot enter the kingdom of greatness. If ye do it unto the least of these, my brethren, yet do it unto me.’ That’s the question facing America today.”
A month later, Dr. King was dead, shot down on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.
Dr. King’s message was so challenging to established power in the United States, power based on racial privilege, on militarism and on economic stratification, that he was killed for speaking out. It is no wonder that established power today wishes to domesticate Dr. King’s prophetic vision and co-opt it order to justify conflict.
But today of all days, today as we remember that 40 years ago Dr. King was killed for speaking out against unjust power, let us not be fooled. Dr. King was killed because he challenged racism, militarism and economic inequality. And if you are not doing the same, you have no right to claim this legacy.
It is a judgment on us all.
By
Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite
|
April 4, 2008; 8:10 AM ET
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Posted by: Fred | April 6, 2008 8:56 PM
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Episcopal_Church_in_the_United_States_of_America
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 6, 2008 1:05 PM
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my birthday is 14th of May, 1010, not 82 not 64 not 55 not 91.
now i want to know about en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Matthias and Episcopal Church, and Scotland and Sudan.
who is the person in Yom Kippur responsible and courier for atonements?
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 6, 2008 1:01 PM
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now i want to learn more about Selma Kozan in 4. Levent Istanbul, from Safranbolu, very similar to Williams Bush in the face, with "african-indian united nations theatre representative" husband and especially the Russian part in this case, and our electromagnetics slavery.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 6, 2008 11:37 AM
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citizen : city's men
Selma : peace (islam, teslim, hebrew) (a name for women)
Alabama : Melungeons? CAtholic Irish Kennedy?
Tennessee : puritans? protagonist? New York? dutch and british?
Carlo Petrini, A Night at the Opera
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwnFALSbBME
Cooking Up A Story
Cooking Up Paste
Cooking Up Pastors
diversity, university, history
gastronomy, supper, stirring the pot, food
making love, and a child
luxurious, lightful, puritan, pleasure
folk in Italia speak fast but this time the speaker is slow and the interpreter is fast.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 6, 2008 11:32 AM
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now Martin Luther King, in "protest-ant" there is "protect-ant" too. we had talked about the power to protect the truth, here yesterday, there is not a power against the truth, there is a power to protect the truth.
so we are here again to present and put forward the truth.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 6, 2008 9:54 AM
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as far as i heard, there is a bank, an energy bank, that energy of people are collected and saved daily.
1. emergency
2. insurance
3. compensation
4. investment
5. presents
6. bills
7. nuclear war
8. re-ath (after de-ath)
9. cross-over
10. ease of life in disease
do you save the money while another person may use it? no? then shall you save your energy while another person may use it? at least as apostels did.
there is a principle in healing. you may take the energy of planets to pass to the Earth, to your body and for people on Earth to use it, while walking and breathing, also from Earth to other planets too.
here we are on Earth, magnetically.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 6, 2008 9:45 AM
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if there is connection you go on, if there is not, you dont. the more touchable you are to planets, with care to intakes as music food movies books sources air water, the more light we are.
now for MArtin Luther King, you may have an idea about his connections, words and sources in his speech and life.
all are available for all on EArth, especially with planets,
we may talk about 12 Islands in Greek Sea, beginning with Sea of MAria and Black Sea to Mediterranean and Atlantic.
you can see news on the papers as "there is water in MArs" again after this message of mine.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 6, 2008 7:50 AM
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there is a question whether it is a tree on the top of the mountain. maybe mountain is from a fountain. and maybe it is a clerk to mount the food found as a gift, like in secularism to sew ocular, reconnection, sweet food from the sky, or to baptise, or ownership like in "Mr Brown".
Bush is related with Bee Usher, the person to show and take guests to their seats for the gathering.
if USA is able to take the scent of a person into a jar, (is it usherness?) then USA can take a piece of my energy to somewhere else, or read it, or test it like blood cells and genetics, and give it back to me, or add it or use it somewhere else.
to explain within internetics, this is downloading the HTML codes on websites, pictures, musics, movies, logs, history. why is Vladimir Putin this much thin and lightful in this recent NATO meeting?
for this, electromagnetics, soul vibrations and body frequencies are used. as Germany developed, there may be missiles to the person known with a frequency, especially while writing on internet, or speaking on a mobile phone.
Vladimir Putin is so thin and lightful in this recent NATO meeting. but the problem is vibration changes, and so are genetics, like water crystals.
this government in Turkey is in relation with Russia and Germany. maybe this is why in these years i experienced all. i may say, there shall not be any assasination, there shall be changes. at least a cup of coffee is with a change. is it with cash in USA? joking.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 6, 2008 7:13 AM
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is there Ottomans in this MLK case? if Africa is known with Arabs and Slavery, Portuguese and Ottomans included, then where did this bicycle go? where did the community on this bike move to?
why are there white muslim caps and clothes on the heads of African men behind MLK?
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 6, 2008 5:07 AM
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"I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord"
with Darwinism, astronomy and animals, a person can explain everything today, provided with prophets, saints and apostels.
the problem is how MLK could verbalize these words i quoted above. why is GAndhi in? why are British in? why is Canada in? where is Russia in India? where is Germany after Second World War? why is Tennessee and Memphis?
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 6, 2008 5:03 AM
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNo07c5wL5w
1. communism is fundamentally based on Apostels
2. capitalism is based on Prophet of Civilization
3. darwinism is based on Greek Mythology and History of Prophets
i can present a new version of Shakespeare's King Lear with Three Doughters and Bakers, based on Hake's Pearl on the Mouth.
were children in Vietnam children or Faithful Children? priests have many dictionaries and vocabularies.
there are pronunciational and non-pronunciational languages. with pronunciational ones, the non-pronunciational languages are so different.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 6, 2008 4:57 AM
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More surface stuff where is the historical perspective in this nonsense REv. Thistlewaite
Posted by: Garyd | April 5, 2008 6:09 PM
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if Nathanael is the Gift of God, can we say NATO is supposed to be a gift too?
"Nathan was a court prophet who lived in the time of King David and his wife Bathsheba. He once came to David to reprimand him over his committing adultery with Bathsheba while she was the wife of Uriah, in Anadolu"
why do you insist on a democratic government then, Williams Bush, in Anadolu? for Armenians and Greeks to be here too?
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 5, 2008 12:26 PM
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this is to Prime Minister of Turkey,
bildigi halde evlatlarin olumune sebep olanlar, evlatlari birbirine kirdiranlar, sehitlerden soz edemez, Kuran okuyamaz.
namus, seref, vatan icin yalan soyleyen, haktan ayrilmistir. oyle bir kisi Bursa icin yeni bir stadyum yapmayi ve Uludag'in zirvesindeki otelleri yikip yeniden kurmayi dusunmez.
kazdigi yerden cikacak madenleri isleyecek herhalde denir, o zaman Avrupa Birligi demesi sahsi ve vatana ihanettir.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 5, 2008 9:45 AM
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Martin Luther King is "M+L+K", MELEKE is "Personal Talent", MELEK is ANGEL.
MELEKE is (Angelness + Personal Treasure) of Human Angel, for Pro-Tag-On-Being.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 5, 2008 9:38 AM
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is it shoulders that Williams Bush offer to take to Afghanistan but not soldiers?
is this why Viladimir Putin offered soldiers to stay in Russia near Afghanistan?
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 5, 2008 9:24 AM
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one more interpretation
"He walked to hospitality for the dis-ease in His lunges, and in the decisions and movements in the community, maybe because of cold breeze and thoughts that re-ached Him,
and He decided and announced to guide to cope with troubles and to hug the community within compassion and truth that we have happened to establish and present"
as far as how i am known with this nickname, i ask to be pardoned for i dared to write to transliterate, but with failures and inaccuracies.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 5, 2008 7:05 AM
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King of Denmark, Greece and United Kingdom, who has established the Kopenhagen Criteria, walked to hospitality for the disease in His lungs, maybe because of cold breeze and thoughts that reached Him, and He guided to cope with troubles and to hug the community of compassion and truth.
and i am writing this, in the article for Martin Luther King.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 5, 2008 6:54 AM
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and He was not making electromagnetic advertisements to come to His meetings or to have His ideas in others,
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 5, 2008 5:45 AM
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Ms Susan Brooks,
there are towers in Istanbul 4. Levent, especially the one which uncountable gulls fly around the tower till morning.
this was one year ago, after i announced this, the next night there was not any gull but just a few, and i dont know what happened in this one year.
so what i want to say is people are magnetic, like electromagnetic towers. the more they are natural, the more they are strong.
people around Martin Luther King are like gulls around this tower with electromagnetics. the difference is he was not growing with cash.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 5, 2008 5:41 AM
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Reverend, you have condemned Rev. Rod Parsley for using warlike images in his sermons. Do you also condemn Jesus Christ for saying he came to bring not peace, but a sword?
Posted by: andrew | April 4, 2008 6:55 PM
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the boys community spent days to our Now, visit I grew
Posted by: homestevenst | April 4, 2008 6:13 PM
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Anon, Anon, Anon wherever you are,
White communities have white churches. I have been living in these communities for 65 plus years and attending Mass every Sunday. After 65 plus years these parishes are still white. No doubt you live in a mixed race community which are few and far between.
Posted by: Concerned The Christian Now Liberated | April 4, 2008 5:09 PM
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I was living outside the country between 1956 and 1968. This was the time when the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was most involved with civil rights movement. He came to my attention for the first time from a news item in the Times or the Newsweek magazine . A strange affinity pulled me toward this man. He appeared to me to be the Moses of his people. The more I learned about him the more I believed in his greatness. His speeches and sermons seemed inspired and were inspiring. He, not unlike his master, was cut down for what he believed. Yet what he believed and preached shall stay with us as long as people value justice, liberty and truth.
Posted by: Ibrahim Mahfouz | April 4, 2008 4:40 PM
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To Concerned The Christian Now Liberated:
Parishes not integrated? I guess you never attended Mass before! My parish consists of all races! Catholic does mean Universal!
We are one spiritual family united by the body and blood of Christ!
Posted by: Anonymous | April 4, 2008 4:39 PM
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After 40 years, the following reminders still holds true with respect to Catholic and other Christian Churches-
a) parishes especially in the US need to integrate.
b) real estate agents should be reminded that denying minorities access to white neighborhoods is a serious sin.
c) interracial marriage should not be frowned upon.
Posted by: Concerned The Christian Now Liberated | April 4, 2008 12:03 PM
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in the "on air" broadcast of a channel in Anadolu, there was a recent news "the Lokmaci gate in Cyprus was closed", there is not any related news on the newspapers today.
the case is, when shall there be hair on the head of the President of the North, in confusion with Talasso and Serapis,
and who shall pass through the gate to Delphi of Dolphins, of visibility and audibility within communication, the basics of electromagnetics and mobile phones?
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 4, 2008 11:10 AM
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for example, Prince of Quwait is in West of Anadolu with USA flag on board of his yatch this week. the Prince of Suudi Arabia, supported by Vatican Pope Benedictus, has driven on the highways of Anadolu with 100 bilingual men this week.
the problem is what is outside, what is inside? what is on, what is off? with electromagnetics, You can turn all on.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 4, 2008 10:56 AM
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with electromagnetics, truth is everywhere, from ear to ear, from soul to soul. so there would not be any assasination or power against truth.
because on Earth, there is not any power against truth but there is power in order to protect the truth. so truth is protected and available everywhere with electromagnetics.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 4, 2008 10:48 AM
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if wind is with magnetics, then with electromagnetics there is wind everywhere. where there is wind, there You can find clean air, cheerful and vivid life with lovely frequencies. i know, i experienced.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 4, 2008 10:44 AM
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if there are spell and magic, then there is electromagnetics too, this time for health and peace. and with electromagnetics, a man cannot steal, cannot cheat, cannot tell a lie if You keep him high with electromagnetics.
as when You travel, the energy in You is refreshed, electromagnetics provides with this circulation and acclimation. every where air is clean and fresh, any more choking or undersmoke or piling over and over.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 4, 2008 10:39 AM
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genetics is available within electromagnetics, without any drug, surgery or medicine. what i want to say is there would not be any assasination.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 4, 2008 10:30 AM
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would He be assasinated if there were electromagnetics then? electromagnetics is a car-wash. You can take a man back to factory settings. You can take a man to his original values, either from birth or to his highest.
Posted by: rafamdergem | April 4, 2008 10:25 AM
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Susan wrote: "I have heard so many stupid speeches about Dr. King that blather on about how he “gave his life for freedom.” He didn’t give his life; it was taken."
Well, so was Christ's life.
While I agree with most of your column, you ignore that King knew there were people who wanted him dead. He had received death threats. He even predicted his death when he said he might not be there with us when freedom comes, and spoke of seeing the promised land. In essense, he put himself in the line of fire for freedom as much as any soldier fighting for freedom.
Yes Susan, he did give his life for freedom, and while many others would have given up out of fear to live a long life, he continued on strong, as Christ did. He did not give his life willingly, but he willingly put his life in danger knowing people had marked him for death. He risked his life for freedom, and in the end, gave his life for freedom.
Posted by: Fate | April 4, 2008 9:30 AM
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Wow I am a young black male and I have to admit my parents never really talked about black history nor what it meant to us as a people. My grandfather's brother was a security guard for Dr. King and everytime I went home I would see that picture up, but no one would talk about it. So needless to say I am now diving into learning history on my own. Yes obviously the schools taught us some black history, but some of the great quotes that Dr. Thistlethwaite provided I had never heard until this article.
I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Thistlethwaite in Dallas, TX when she came and spoke to the Elders and Ministers of our church. It was a thought provoking conversation that didn't just end after the meeting, but went on throughout the day when I had the privilege of accompanying her and a small contingent to dinner. I say all that to say thank you for providing eloquence to the conversation about what Dr. King meant to not just black people but all people.