“I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and
Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been
gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the
regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block is not the White
Citizen’s Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more
devoted to “order” than to justice, who prefers a negative peace which is the
absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice, who
constantly say “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can’t agree with
your methods of direct action.” Who paternalistically believes that he can set
the timetable for another man’s freedom…” Martin Luther King Jr. Letter from Birmingham Jail.
He echoes what I've often felt. Who are the greatest enemies of change? The diehard segregationists, abortionists, talking heads? Or is it the nice people who just can't be bothered, don't want to rock the boat, don't have time or are afraid that they'll get into trouble too.
Especially the churchmen who told King that he was supposed to stick with spiritual matters and not meddle in politics. But how can you separate the two? You can't.
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