Martin Luther King Jr's "A Time to Break Silence"

Dr. Martin Luther King Jrs essay A Time to Break Silence was a little however considerable piece of his life and profession as a minister, Nobel Peace Reward winner, hubby, father, civil rights activist, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and a crucial historical figure for future generations.

In this essay, Dr. King discusses why the Vietnam War is essential to him. He starts with his first reason, is that he felt like the armed force had given a guarantee of wish to the poor, when the federal government didnt actually have the funds or intentions to fulfill their dreams.

He felt that the war was practically like an attack on the bad, since it tempted them to their death, in a sense.

His second factor is recognizing the truth of the war and its effect on the households it affected. Once again, he felt like it was an attack on the bad, and particularly African Americans, because the government thought they sufficed to combat with white soldiers, leave their households, and crave the country, however unsatisfactory to ride the exact same bus, go to the very same, schools, or have the very same equality.

Get quality help now

Sweet V

Verified writer

Proficient in: Martin Luther Reformation

4.9 (984)

“ Ok, let me say I’m extremely satisfy with the result while it was a last minute thing. I really enjoy the effort put in. ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

Finally, he blogs about how people need a much deeper understanding of war, and need to know that it wont resolve all of their issues. He then looks into the fact that although he is a civil liberties leader, he still appreciates these concerns because of the individuals that it affects. He this speak about the duty he carries by receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, and how he feels that it is comparable to a commission, and a dedication to work harder for the brotherhood of man.

He then goes on to speak about his religious feelings towards the war, and states that it is an opportunity and a problem to be human. In the last line of his Significance of Vietman section, he says For no documents from human hands can make these people any less our bros. I feel that his quote has numerous meanings. Taken from his spiritual views, he follows the mentors of Christ, who is supposed to be the voice for the weak, the voiceless, the victims, ect. I feel this quote also refers to his moral views of treating people equally, and thinking that no matter what race, all human beings should have respect.

He begins the next segment of his essay, Strange Liberators, he speaks of his compassion for the people affected by the war. He wonders what the Vietnamese people think of America , and talks about how the U.S government oppressed the Vietamese people because the U.S didnt feel like they were ready for the freedom of running their own government. The U.S and French government poured money into controlling Vietnam , and the U.S ended up paying most of the expenses. This segment basically analyzes the hypocrisy of the U.S, because they were destroying lives and communities, and not actually focusing on liberating Vietnam . The Vietnamese people were treated poorly, and faced the choice of a concentration camp or death. Dr. King compares the treatment of the Vietnamese people to that of the Jews by Germany under Hitlers rule.

Dr. King then proclaims that the madness and suffering of the Vietnamese people must end for things to move forward. He speaks of how the war will make the world see America as a place of militarism and violence. He then brings up things that he thinks would help to end the conflicts, such as stopping bombing, removing foreign troops, and accepting the realities of the war.

In his next segment, Protesting the War, Dr. King talks about churches, synagogues, and communities bonding together to protest the war, and how American government officials are making peace impossible because they arent willing to give up overseas investments. He feels that America is too materialistic, and that a true revolution of values would soon change the ideals of the people, because war is not the way to peace, justice, and love. He felt that if change was not made, America would approach a spiritual death. He felt that rather than bombing to end communism, America shouldve tried to make positive steps to defeating communism.

In the last segment of his this essay, The People are Important, Dr. King says that we must support the revolutions, and make the final analysis of our loyalties. He says that love is the ultimate force of life, and is a necessity for man. He says that we can no longer afford to hate.

Henry Thoreaus essay Civil Disobedience is similar to Dr. Kings, becauseThoreau also feels like the government is run by the majorities, and not the conscious of the people. He feels that the majorities decide right and wrong in the government, and that it is unfair and unjust.

Like Dr. King, Thoreau feels that the military is just a tool to the government, disposable lives, an army of machines. Thoreau disagrees with the government, and feels like it is too involved in peoples lives.

In conclusion, both essays relate well and give evidence of the wrong doings and mistakes of the government at their time period, and that have and will carry into the future.

Work Cited/ Bibliography:

King, Martin Luther. A Time to Break Silence. Literature and Society. Ed. Annas, Pamela J. and Rosen, Robert C. Upper Saddle River , New Jersey : Pearson Education Inc, 2007. 1098-1103.

Thoreau, Henry. Civil Disobediance. Literature and Society. Ed. Annas, Pamela J. and Rosen, Robert C. Upper Saddle River , New Jersey : Pearson Education Inc, 2007. 1423-.