Favorite MLK quote?

[RMGuy]

"We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."

-RM

[Guest]

Of course -

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

[pam]

The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important.

[Blackmarch]

i have a dream.

[Vort]

I was only a small child when Dr. King was preaching, but I remember asking him once, in my childish innocence, "Dr. King, why are people angry? Why do the white people want to hurt the black people? Why do the black people hate the white people?"

And as long as I live, I will never forget his immediate response to me, his rich, mellifluous voice accompanying the penetrating stare from those soft brown eyes: "Who are you and how did you get in my living room?"

[Dravin]

Not sure if it is a genuine quotation (the internet is rife with misattribution) but:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

[annewandering]

Lest we forget he had his faults and he is not godlike.

[RMGuy]

Lest we forget he had his faults and he is not godlike.

Well it's not like we were suggesting singing praise to the man......just a way to honor a man who tried to do his best to make life better. Perhaps I should retitle the thread to invite people to share their favorite quote or to make a snarky comment regarding the dead.

I always need to remind myself how Christlike we all are.

-RM

[pam]

Lest we forget he had his faults and he is not godlike.

I don't think anyone is suggesting he is godlike. But he did much to try and remove the barriers of racial hate during his life. Personally, it's a shame he died so young. I would have liked to have seen what more he could have done. I imagine quite a bit.

[Guest]

Not sure if it is a genuine quotation (the internet is rife with misattribution) but:

It is a quote from one of MLK's sermons compiled in the book Strength to Love.

The complete quote is as follows:

"Why should we ever love our enemies? The first reason is obvious. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.”

[Guest]

I don't think anyone is suggesting he is godlike. But he did much to try and remove the barriers of racial hate during his life. Personally, it's a shame he died so young. I would have liked to have seen what more he could have done. I imagine quite a bit.

You have a dream?

[Jenamarie]

It is a quote from one of MLK's sermons compiled in the book Strength to Love.

The complete quote is as follows:

"Why should we ever love our enemies? The first reason is obvious. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.”

And this is probably my favorite quote of them all. It is SO true.