The time for blues is over
Martin Luther King
was opposed to violence and war; he was indeed a devout pacifist. It is very
odd, almost unbelievable, that so violent and tumultuous a setting as this can
still produce such men . He was out of place, out of
season, too naive, to innocent, to cultured, to civil
for these times. That is why his end was so predictable.
Violence in its
various forms he opposed but this does not mean that he was passive. He was
perceptive enough to see that the men of color across the world were on the
march and their example would soon influence those in the USA to also stand up
and stop trembling. So he attempted to direct the emotions and the movement in
general along lines that he thought best suited to our unique situation:
nonviolent civil disobedience, political and economic in character. I was
beginning to warm somewhat to him because of his new ideas concerning US
foreign wars against colored peoples
I never really
disliked him as a man. As a man, I accorded him the respect that his sincerity
deserved.
It is as a leader
of black thought that I disagreed with him: the concept of nonviolence is a
false ideal. It presupposes the existence of compassion and a sense of justice
on the part of one's adversary. When this adversary has everything to lose and
nothing to gain by exercising justice and compassion, his reaction can only be
negative.
The Kings, Wilkinses and Youngs exhort us in
King's words to put away your knives, put away your arms and clothe yourselves
in the breastplate of righteousness and turn the other cheek to prove your capacity
to endure, to love. Well, that is good for them perhaps but I most certainly
need both sides of my head.
Adapted from Soledad brothers, the prison letters of G. Jackson
1-
Martin Luther King,
the black minister and head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for
many years led the fight for civil rights for black people in the Southern
states. King, then the most important leader in the US, was assassinated
shortly before this letter was written.
2-
Ryan Wilkins is the
head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Along
with King and Young, he represents the older generation of
black leaders who believed in reforming the US rather than in revolution.
3-
G. Jackson (1942-1971)
is a black activist who spent 11 years in prison where he was killed in the
course of a riot.
Prep- THE TIME FOR
BLUES IS OVER
GENERAL COMPREHENSION
Whats the meaning of the title ?
The Blacks must start singing b)
the Blacks must stop singing c)
the Blacks must stop being passive
Explain the meaning:
Try to find another title
a)
Violence vs non-violence
b)MLK was right c)
Jackson believes in the teachings of the
Bible
Vocabulary
Fill in the grid
|
Ιtrange |
|
environnement |
|
Fervent/pieux |
|
|
|
On the march |
Quelque peu |
|
|
To accord= to grant |
|
Une pensιe |
|
ranger |
|
armure |
|
|
Droiture |
|
convenir |
|
Ne pas κtre daccord avec |
|
|
mιriter |
|
|
Civil (2 sens) |
Joue |
|
Trouver les
dιrivιs du verbe anglais qui signifie convenir:
Grammar
perceptive enough: quelle est la rθgle?:
Traduire arrκter de faire qq chose:
Traduire en tant quhomme:
Comment exprime-t-on le moyen? ( equivalent
du franηais: en
ant)
DETAILED COMPREHENSION
|
1°) Why does he say it is odd, almost unbelievable? 2°) Whats the
meaning of such men? 3°) What was MLKs
end? Why was is predictable? 4°)According
to Jackson, does MLKs non-violence means passivity? 5°)What
were his methods of action? 6°)What
pushed MLK to start his fight for freedom? |
7°) Why did he choose
non-violence? 8°) What did Jackson
like/ or dislike in MLK? 9°)Why
does Jackson say that non-violence is a false ideal? 10°) Where does the
expression turn the other cheek come from? Is it
surprising to find MLK using this quotation? 11°)What
is Jacksons justification for the use of violence? |