Where is our Generation's Martin Luther King?

I've been doing a lot of research on my Uncle Ivan lately who passed away in Vietnam almost 40 years ago. The sad part is he didn't have to be there. He volunteered when he was sixteen-years old because he felt the need to serve and protect this great country of ours.

How many of our sixteen-year olds have this mentality today?

A recent acquaintance of mine, Jamel Shabazz, has asked me about being involved with him in some facet regarding a project he is working on about Vietnam. Thus the research began.

You might be asking yourselves what my Uncle Ivan's death in Vietnam has to do with Martin Luther King.

Well, as I prepared to write this blog I wanted to share a speech with some of you, other than the "I have a dream" speech we all know so well.

And when I googled: Martin Luther King forgotten speeches. I came upon a speech titled, "Beyond Vietnam."

The speech was given at Riverside Church on April 4, 1967 in New York City. It was "exactly" one year later, on April 4, 1968 that Dr. King was shot dead. And two days later on April 6, 1968, my Uncle Ivan would lay dead in a rice patty in Vietnam... It was the day before his nineteenth birthday and he was a victim of a mortar round.

Dr. King opened his speech that day by saying he came because he believed in the saying, "A time comes when silence is betrayal."

He went on to address how his "supporters" felt about him coming out against the war:

"Why are you speaking about the war, Dr. King? Why are you joining the voices of dissent?" "Peace and civil rights don't mix," they say. "Aren't you hurting the cause of your people?" they ask. And when I hear them, though I often understand the source of their concern, I am nevertheless greatly saddened, for such questions mean that the inquirers have not really known me, my commitment, or my calling. Indeed, their questions suggest that they do not know the world in which they live."

This part of the speech touched me the most because while I consider myself a patriot of my country I've witnessed first hand - an airport gate full of soldiers with missing limbs - returning from the war.

Even though Dr. King wasn't able to save my Uncle Ivan's life... He didn't betray his conscience by staying silent, no matter what the cost.

I don't think much has changed over the last 40 years in regards to people being afraid to speak out against a flawed government for fear of being called a traitor.

But I do know one thing... We damn sure need our own Dr. Martin Luther King...

Where is our generations Dr. Martin Luther King?

One Love, Ivan Sanchez - Your Friendly Neighborhood Author