Tonight, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., selections from his Lecture given in recognition of his receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize. Nobel Lectures given by great speakers and authors tend to be some of their best, most moving, and personal work, and King’s is no exception. While it is too long to reprint in its entirety, his message is clear:
We have inherited a big house, a great "world house" in which we have to live together - black and white, Easterners and Westerners, Gentiles and Jews, Catholics and Protestants, Moslem and Hindu, a family unduly separated in ideas, culture, and interests who, because we can never again live without each other, must learn, somehow, in this one big world, to live with each other.
From The Quest for Peace and Justice
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Nobel Lecture, December 11, 1964
This evening I would like to use this lofty and historic platform to discuss what appears to me to be the most pressing problem confronting mankind today. Modern man has brought this whole world to an awe-inspiring threshold of the future. He has reached new and astonishing peaks of scientific success. He has produced machines that think and instruments that peer into the unfathomable ranges of interstellar space. He has built gigantic bridges to span the seas and gargantuan buildings to kiss the skies. His airplanes and spaceships have dwarfed distance, placed time in chains, and carved highways through the stratosphere. This is a dazzling picture of modern man's scientific and technological progress.
Yet, in spite of these spectacular strides in science and technology, and still unlimited ones to come, something basic is missing. There is a sort of poverty of the spirit which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific and technological abundance. The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually. We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers.
Every man lives in two realms, the internal and the external. The internal is that realm of spiritual ends expressed in art, literature, morals, and religion. The external is that complex of devices, techniques, mechanisms, and instrumentalities by means of which we live. Our problem today is that we have allowed the internal to become lost in the external. We have allowed the means by which we live to outdistance the ends for which we live. So much of modern life can be summarized in that arresting dictum of the poet Thoreau: "Improved means to an unimproved end". This is the serious predicament, the deep and haunting problem confronting modern man. If we are to survive today, our moral and spiritual "lag" must be eliminated. Enlarged material powers spell enlarged peril if there is not proportionate growth of the soul. When the "without" of man's nature subjugates the "within", dark storm clouds begin to form in the world.
This problem of spiritual and moral lag, which constitutes modern man's chief dilemma, expresses itself in three larger problems which grow out of man's ethical infantilism. Each of these problems, while appearing to be separate and isolated, is inextricably bound to the other. I refer to racial injustice, poverty, and war.
(Ed. note: King then launches into a long exposition on racism, poverty, and war, and the importance of nonviolence as a way to end all three. Go read it.)
Let me close by saying that I have the personal faith that mankind will somehow rise up to the occasion and give new directions to an age drifting rapidly to its doom. In spite of the tensions and uncertainties of this period something profoundly meaningful is taking place. Old systems of exploitation and oppression are passing away, and out of the womb of a frail world new systems of justice and equality are being born. Doors of opportunity are gradually being opened to those at the bottom of society. The shirtless and barefoot people of the land are developing a new sense of "some-bodiness" and carving a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of despair. "The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light." Here and there an individual or group dares to love, and rises to the majestic heights of moral maturity. So in a real sense this is a great time to be alive. Therefore, I am not yet discouraged about the future. Granted that the easygoing optimism of yesterday is impossible. Granted that those who pioneer in the struggle for peace and freedom will still face uncomfortable jail terms, painful threats of death; they will still be battered by the storms of persecution, leading them to the nagging feeling that they can no longer bear such a heavy burden, and the temptation of wanting to retreat to a more quiet and serene life. Granted that we face a world crisis which leaves us standing so often amid the surging murmur of life's restless sea. But every crisis has both its dangers and its opportunities. It can spell either salvation or doom. In a dark confused world the kingdom of God may yet reign in the hearts of men.
photo source
Not much to add. On to the comments!
From DHinMI:
Upper West provides an easy-to-follow timeline of the various attacks on liberals since 1980.
From srkp23:
Irishkorean makes things perfectly clear.
From spedwybabs:
el vasco provides some local weather coverage in C&J.
From james risser:
arielle offers a touching comment on disillusionment and disappointment.
From Nightprowlkitty:
Duke1676 answers the question of why it's such a "harsh" thing to send undocumented workers home. It's one of the most powerful comments (in pictures) I've ever seen about the reality of how America is treating fellow human beings.
From FishOutofWater:
Lupin reminds us of the wisdom of the young.
From tryptamine:
Leslie H has a great comment about being white and not seeing the effects of racism, and just another vet explains why the "little racisms" make racism so insidious.
God loves goats has a great way to filter how we talk about the candidates.
From Neon Vincent:
CharlieHipHop on cooperation and survival of the fittest.
NBBooks tells us that the clock is beyond repair.
From asinus asinum fricat:
This whole diary has made my night. Tomfoolery at the silliest degree!
From va dare:
45 minutes into the debate, prodigal explains, I am not enjoying this debate.
From taylormattd:
In the break following the raucus first part of the Democratic debate tonight, LithiumCola wonders what spectacle is in store for round two.
My Picks:
Judge Moonbox with an important unasked question about the situation in Iraq.
murphy tells us that Gary Coleman is selling his pants on eBay to pay for dialysis. It would be funny if it weren't really, really sad.
bherner suggests what would happen if Nader and Bloomberg both ran third-party.
droogie6655321 offers a description of Nader.
From gossamer's great diary today, many comments stood out that rightfully praised the diarist's actions. These comments by sara seattle here and Cali Techie here are two of the best.
Top Mojo by sardonyx!
Top Mojo excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first diary comments, and Cheers and Jeers:
1) It's almost not worth by Inky99 — 182
2) Think about it a minute and perhaps a light by eaglecries — 159
3) In a case like this by sara seattle — 141
4) No, by merrinc — 132
5) We should all hang our head in shame by sara seattle — 131
6) An amusing quote from JH Kunstler's blog today by ssmt — 120
7) nit: LCD monitors are cheaper, plasma is $$ by HarlanNY — 108
8) I know that this is a topic by kid oakland — 105
9) This was bound to happen . . . by nyceve — 98
10) I think not by Free Spirit — 93
11) I have to think that... by socratic — 82
12) Please, please by MadRuth — 77
13) 2001 by lukery — 77
14) There's always room by Moody Loner — 75
15) The clock is beyone repair. Time for a new clock. by NBBooks — 74
16) Edwards ran one of the purest ... by crazymoloch — 72
17) Now that's just the sort of intolerant attitude by antirove — 72
18) A recount like this is helpful by FishOutofWater — 71
19) My question: by kath25 — 71
20) That's the voice I heard at the Battle of Selma by Theghostofkarlafayetucker — 69
21) I will be for John Edwards until he tells me that by eaglecries — 67
22) Stop blaming a generation of people by Owllwoman — 61
23) I voted for Edwards! My head is up very high! by Newzie — 61
24) He gets more company every week by Dallasdoc — 61
25) this is the saddest part by taylormattd — 61
26) Which is why this campaign is so frustrating by RFK Lives — 60
27) It is quite inevitable by Jerome a Paris — 59
28) Not to be wet blanket by gossamer — 59
29) the FBI lied by lukery — 58
30) Confirmed. by kestrel9000 — 58
Top Mojo with No Exclusions:
1) mojo jar by Inky99 — 801
2) tips, recs, etc.? Thanks. by gossamer — 572
3) Tip Jar by interguru — 511
4) Tip Jar - 21 January by Jerome a Paris — 426
5) So today, by DarkSyde — 271
6) Tips for a REAL public finance system by JedReport — 240
7) I support by mspicata — 212
8) It's almost not worth by Inky99 — 182
9) I'll delete if this isn't substantive enough. by Elise — 165
10) Think about it a minute and perhaps a light by eaglecries — 159
11) tips, flames and comments by testvet6778 — 157
12) For Barack... by icebergslim — 145
13) Speak out for justice! by be inspired — 145
14) In a case like this by sara seattle — 141
15) No, by merrinc — 132
16) We should all hang our head in shame by sara seattle — 131
17) An amusing quote from JH Kunstler's blog today by ssmt — 120
18) tips by thereisnospoon — 119
19) nit: LCD monitors are cheaper, plasma is $$ by HarlanNY — 108
20) I know that this is a topic by kid oakland — 105
21) tips by Joe Rospars — 102
22) This was bound to happen . . . by nyceve — 98
23) Ouch, that's gotta sting Bill's soul. by soros — 98
24) Tips for Taking Action by Ellinorianne — 96
25) I think not by Free Spirit — 93
26) I have to think that... by socratic — 82
27) Please, please by MadRuth — 77
28) 2001 by lukery — 77
29) There's always room by Moody Loner — 75
30) The clock is beyone repair. Time for a new clock. by NBBooks — 74
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