Beyond Vietnam Speech Analysis

On 4th April 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech called “Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence”, at a meeting of concerned clergy at Riverside Church in New York City, New York. The address was part of a conference held by CAL-CAV (Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam), an organization working to bring the war in Vietnam to an end. The speech mainly focuses on the war in Vietnam. The purpose of the speech is to make the clergy aware that the war is not only affecting Vietnam, but USA as well. He intended to stop the war as it harmed many people, including women and children, which could not be tolerated by the US.

King starts off his speech by giving respect to the audience and to the church, which he is present in. He
He’s not happy with the fact that the US waged a war against Vietnam. He does not want to stay silent anymore. He wants to take an action against the US. This is shown in ‘…silence is betrayal’. He uses this line in order to signify that he is tired of staying silent and to notify the audience that the time had come to take an action against the US. His tone changes to despair. He uses an empathetic approach to emotionally attach himself with the audience so as to convince them to raise their voices against the actions committed by the US
It was difficult for them to succeed in their mission, which was to stop the war, as it could bear harsh consequences for them. It was very challenging as the authorities against which they were standing had an enormous power, which could even cause deaths of those speaking against it. He still stays focused on the main purpose and carries on the speech in a thoughtful and motivational tone. He insists the general public to move on, no matter what happens. He persuades the audience to follow his path and question the government’s policies along with him. He believes that even one of the largest governments in the world can be taken down just by strong links to organic movements and groups of like-minded