You don’t have to commemorate Martin Luther King’s birthday.

[BuyingThyme]

You don’t even have to commemorate your own birthday.

You don’t have to tell people how old you are, or how old he would have been.

You don’t have to wear a paper hat, or paint a peace sign on your forehead.

You don’t have to look back at your life, or forward to his dreams.

Nobody will take offense.

But if you do want to eat some cake, or march in the streets, I’m right there with you.

All you have to do is ask.

[neweurope]

1. *sits in a corner and begins to sing*

We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
some day
deep in my heart...

-----------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[lawbelle]

2. a great speech to remember

a great speech to remember is king's "why i oppose the war in vietnam." here's a great animation, listen to king's words... everytime i hear his voice i feel like crying:
http://www.peacetakescourage.com/standup.html

How Dr. King Is Still Teaching Us Today
January 12, 2005
Written by: Ava

Every year near Martin Luther King Jr. Day our family watches some of Dr. King’s greatest speeches, such as “I Have a Dream” and “We Shall Overcome.” Each year I have listened and watched carefully, but not until this year did I actually hear what Dr. King was really saying.


Many know of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a reverend and civil right activist. But many people are not aware that Dr. King was one of the biggest critics of the war in Vietnam. Somewhere between the main street media and the government this important part of Dr. King’s life has been forgotten. School children learn about Dr. King’s many civil rights speeches such as “I Have a Dream,” but they are not taught about his speeches addressing the horrible war of his time. I had not heard “Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam” until this past week.


I was looking through some speeches of Dr. King’s speeches when I came upon “Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam.” On April 4, 1967, exactly one year before Dr. King was assassinated, the speech was delivered during a meeting at Riverside Church in New York City. As I sat listening to the speech I came upon a section that sent chills up and down my spine:


“It is time for all people of conscience to call upon America, come back home, come home America. Omar Khayyam is right: ‘The moving finger writes, and having writ moves on.’ I call on Washington today, I call on every man and woman of good will all over America today, I call on the young men of America who must make a choice today. Take a stand on this issue, tomorrow may be too late. The book may close. Don't let anybody make you think that God chose America as His divine messianic force to be -- a sort of policeman of the whole world. God has a way of standing before the nations with judgment, and it seems that I can hear God saying to America: “You are too arrogant! If you don't change your ways, I will rise up and break the backbone of your power, and I will place it in the hands of a nation that doesn't even know my name. Be still and know that I am God."


There are good speakers. There are great speakers. But Dr. King is more than that. Dr. King is more than a speaker. He is more than a reverend. He is more than an activist. He is an inspiration. Dr. King is an inspiration to people of all races and nationalities. Listening to his speeches will make a person feel confident, strong, and ready for the challenge ahead of him. After listening to Dr. King it is as if something in your head says “All right. We can do it.” Whether the challenge we are facing is racism, deception, war, or anything else, we can face it together. When I listened to “Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam” I realized that Dr. King’s speech wasn’t just about the Vietnam War, it was about people uniting for peace, justice, and humanity. With the speeches he left behind Martin Luther King Jr. still speaks to us today.

The spirit of Dr. King lives on in all of us.
It is up to us to listen and "Take a stand on this issue."

[newyawker99]

6. Hi lawbelle!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[lawbelle]

7. thanks for the welcome!

i'm looking forward to great dialogue and making friends... thanks for the welcome!

-t-

[BuyingThyme]

10. Welcome to DU, Lawbelle!

:hi:

[lonestarnot]

3. Marching, carrying my sign "You can't be all you can be if you're dead."

[TallahasseeGrannie]

4. I don't do anything special this day

really. Just ponder. Remember the way it used to be. Think of the way it might be.

Are you having cake, really? Hmmmmm

[ThatsMyBarack]

5. I'd like to,....

....but I have to work today, while so many others get to stay home. Any ideas??

[lawbelle]

8. donation?

you could visit the king center... and make a donation, perhaps?!?!

its a shame that you have to work today- most employers do not take MLK day seriously... my husband is working as well. when my boss told me that she was making this day a yearly holiday and that it was important to her, i bought her a drink! btw- my boss is me. ;-)

-t-

[ThatsMyBarack]

11. Good one, lawbelle!

And welcome to DU! :hi:

[Bluerthanblue]

9. the essence

of what MLK really gave his life for-

Is summed up in your blue box-

FREEDOM-

And the beauty, of MLK's Life is in your second to last sentence-
"I'm right there with you."-
We are bound together-
"While we may have come here on different ships, we're all in this boat together" (not exact quote of MLK's -from memory)

I'll bring the angel food, anyone have strawberries in Jan?
thanks BuyingThyme-

peace,
blu

:hug: