MLK's Ten Commandments of Viet Nam (CSK Speech in April 1968 NYC)

[radio4progressives]

I just finished transcribing a speech given by Coretta Scott King, three weeks after the brutal assassination of her then departed husband Martin Luther King Jr. New York April 1968. The audio has been preserved with Pacifica Radio archives, and this was broadcast this past Sunday on Pacifica Radio KPFA Sunday Salon. To listen, simply follow info below:


Coretta Scott King reading from MLK's notes in April 1968

http://sundaysalon.org

audio segment 20:44 (second hour)


Transcript begins:

Ten Commandments of Viet Nam

Mr Dillinger, My Dear friends of Peace and Freedom :

I come to New York today with a strong feeling, that my dearly beloved husband, who was snatched suddenly from our midst, slightly more than three weeks ago now, would have wanted me to be present today.

Though my heart is heavy with grief from having suffered an irreparable personal loss, my faith in the redemptive will of god is stronger today than ever before.

As many of you probably know, my husband had accepted an invitation to speak to you today. And had he been here, I am sure he would have lifted your hearts and spirits to new levels of understanding in his customary fashion.

I would like to share with you some notes, taken from my husband's pockets upon his death. He carried many scraps of paper upon which he scribbled notes for his many speeches.

Among these notes was one set which he never delivered. Perhaps they were his early thoughts for the message he was to give to you today .

I am sure he would have developed and delivered them in his usual eloquent and inspired fashion. I simply read them to you as he recorded them.

And I quote: Ten Commandments on Viet Nam

1 - Thou Shalt not Believe in a Military Victory

(applause)

2- Thou shalt Not Believe in a Political Victory

(applause)

3- Thou Shalt Not Believe that They, the Vietnamese Love us

(applause)

4 - Thou Shalt Not Believe that the Saigon Government have the Support of the People

(applause)

5- Thou Shalt Not Believe that the Majority of the South Vietnamese look upon the Viet Cong as Terrorists.

(applause)

6- Thou shalt Not Believe the Figures of Killed Enemies or Killed Americans.

(applause)

7 Thou shalt Not Believe that the Generals Know Best.

(applause)

8- Thou shalt Not Believe that the Enemies Victory Means Communism.

(applause)

9- Thou Shalt Not Believe that the World Supports the United States

(applause)

10- Thou Shalt Not Kill.

(applause)


(end transcript)

[Mythsaje]

1. That actually gave me the shivers...n/t

[radio4progressives]

3. Just replace Viet Nam with Iraq - Seems to me it fits so well today...

and it saddens me that Coretta Scott King could not have lived long enough to have been able to hear the MSM broadcast this speech. In fact NPR edited out the 10 commandments - from the same speech. can you imagine that?

[Mythsaje]

6. That's what I did...

And it worked...

[radio4progressives]

8. i wish the fucking media whores would read it...

n/t

[Selatius]

2. I see now why he was assassinated.

He would've slowed or ruined the 30 year plan by the corporatists to slowly take the country.

[radio4progressives]

4. exactly... and these media pricks DARE to suggest that Memorial Service

was "politicised". Fucking CLUELESS assholes.

[Mythsaje]

7. I had the same thought re: John Lennon...n/t

[radio4progressives]

5. shame less kick - i spent time transcibing this speech

and i want people to get a chance to read it before it slips into the deep hole of eather space.

[Spike from MN]

9. Marking so I can give it a well-deserved kick tomorrow

morning. Thanks for all the work you put into this. And above all, thanks to MLK and CSK for everything they did and all the sacrifices they made to make this world a better place.

[mikelewis]

10. People are sure getting stingy with the K & R's

so here's a much deserved K & R. Thanks for transcribing this.

[EFerrari]

13. It may be that some of us are just stunned at the loss, mike

It took me some time to find this thread.

[mom cat]

29. Here is another well deserved one! Thanks for bringing this to us!

:hug:

[bloom]

11. I was thinking today

that I need to find more of his speeches to read.

[EFerrari]

12. . .

It's our turn now. Today I grieve for those courageous souls that I grew up with, that I thought grew on trees, those magical ones -- where magic interacts with billy clubs. And where black eyes were badges of honor.

:cry:

[EFerrari]

14. kick

[radio4progressives]

15. thanks very much all of you who read and responded...

On Sunday, i was thinking about doing a google search for the transcript of this speach, and never got around to it. Then i read or heard someone say that NPR actually censored out Coretta reading these 10 Commandments for Viet Nam, yet aired the rest of the speach. How outrageous is that?? so, that motivated me to do what i initially intended but couldn't find it anywhere tht King's speeches and other writings are archived - then today, the freaking MSM whores started demonizing some of the people and their remarks, but without a clue as to the fact that these were the issues that both Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King STRUGGLED to build a movement for - so that compelled me to download the audio and transcribe it myself, and i hope that people get to see it and be reminded or learn for the first time, the essence of the issues that the King family and was struggling to achieve, in addition to racial and social justice and equality was an end to all wars and violence.

"Ain't Gonna Study War No More, ain't gonna study war no more.

gonna lay down my sword and shield, down by the riverside, down by the river side, down by the riverside, gonna lay down my sword and shield, down by the riverside, ain't gonna study war no more.

ain't gonna study war no more, ain't gonna study war no more, ain't gonna study war no more, no more! ain't gonna study war no more, ain't gonna study war no more, ain't gonna study war no more.

[Skidmore]

16. Great souls with a great vision

that need to be carried forward into these times. We have many leaders and many messages now, but not a leader of this stature who can rally the many. The only prayer I pray consistently is that we know such a leader in this time as well.

k&r

[AndyA]

17. Applies today

It's amazing how scribbled thoughts on scraps of paper from 1968 still carry such a strong message today.

The media should be covering this story, instead of what they're covering.

[radio4progressives]

21. NPR censored this part of the speech...

the obvious is too glaring apparently..

[Spike from MN]

18. Kick for the morning crowd. n/t

[triguy46]

19. The Prophet, Martin Luther King.

In Biblical use, a prophet does not necessarily tell the future, rather explain the world to a greater understanding of people. However, in this case the Rev. does both. His context was Biblical, his vision of a better world, his reality the personal assaults he bore as he spoke to the world.

[Gregorian]

20. What not to believe. What a good man.

I believe someone like Martin is with us now.

[Ava]

22. animation

check out my animation which includes a clip from MLK's "Beyond Vietnam" speech:
http://www.peacetakescourage.com/standup.html

[radio4progressives]

25. What Great Work on your Video! It's Brilliantly done - Have you sent this

to Sundance, or Free Speech TV and Link TV or anyone else?

[Ava]

28. sundance?

i didn't even know i could send it in to them.. lol. eric blumrich at bushflash.com linked to it for me but that's all.

[EVDebs]

23. Iraq war planning done in '73 with Nixon's plans for oilfield seizures

Read about the 14 Permanent Bases, which is why the Quakers are being spied upon domestically for having the guts to speak about this lie of Bush's (When Iraqis stand up, we'll stand down)

http://www.fcnl.org/iraq/bases.htm

Then go rent Three Days of the Condor and ask yourself if the NYTimes printed the story...

Here's the story, thirty years too late, but with Saudi Arabia...Today the plans were simply switched to Iraq and its oilfields and voila !

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/energy/1973.htm

And the reason the Quakers are being spied upon domestically...simply telling the truth, just like MLK did. The just shall live by faith. We believe in the truth; and the truth will out.

[radio4progressives]

26. I'll try and get to this a later ... thanks for the reminder.. n/t

[Maru Kitteh]

24. holy crap.

No wonder they killed him. :cry:

[radio4progressives]

27. Look at how long our government has been using the term "Terrorists"

to describe all the bogeyman we want to justify going to war against.

[Coexist]

30. How amazing and timely.

thank you for that

[Maraya1969]

31. I just sent this around to about 30 people. Anyone else want to start

the movement?

[Wind Dancer]

32. These words are so inspirational.

Thanks for taking the time to transcribe this for us. It makes me extremely angry that NPR left this out when they aired the speech. MLK, Jr. spoke truth to power, it was only a matter of time before the elites had to destroy him. There are no words.

NPR has been neutered by the RW and corporate media is nothing but propaganda now. I'm thankful we have Democracy Now, FSTV and Link, independent sources are the only means with the exception of the internet.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

[mim]

33. Thank you for reminding us

There are few exact parallels in life, but so much today is reminiscent of Vietnam. Reading today about King's life, I can't understand why he came under such harsh criticism for opposing the Vietnam War.

When that decalogue was published in the New York Times, I clipped it and posted it on my college dorm room door.

[GreenPartyVoter]

34. Beautiful :^)