When Martin Luther King, Jr. came out unequivocally against the war in Viet Nam, he was attacked from all sides, including strong criticism from many of his allies. They said that civil rights and peace didn’t mix, that he was hurting the cause of his own people. King responded that he understood their concerns, but nonetheless it saddened him. It saddened him, he said, because it meant that his allies didn’t really know him, and that they didn’t really know the world they lived in.
It’s easy to forget the revolutionary Martin Luther King when the dominant narrative—entombed in the gauzy haze of official memory—is such a sugary and uplifting story:
Once upon a time there were some mean white people (in the South) and some bad laws. But then a Saint came along and told us to love one another. He led a bus boycott, had a dream, gave a speech, and won a peace prize. Then, we were all better, and he got shot.
It’s sweet and simple, and in large part untrue. The real Martin Luther King, Jr. was an activist for just thirteen years, a loving and angry pilgrim in pursuit of justice, and he grew and changed dramatically each year of his journey. King’s speeches and sermons in the last years of his life are a chronicle of struggle, set-back, re-thinking, connecting issues, seeking new allies, going deeper, fighting harder.
In the last years of his life he was fighting explicitly for economic and global justice connected to racial justice. He spoke of the link between a rotting shack and a rotted-out democracy, between imperial ambitions abroad and betrayal of justice at home. He noted that the American soul was poisoned by war and racism, and raised the question of whether America would go to hell for her sins.
Concretely he said that the American people bore the greatest responsibility for ending the war since our government bore the responsibility for starting and sustaining it. He called the U.S. “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today,” and argued that he could not condemn desperate, angry young men who picked up guns until he first condemned his own government. He urged resistance to the war and counseled youngsters not to join the armed services. And he said the U.S. was on the wrong side of the world revolution, that we would need to rekindle a revolutionary spirit in order to create a “revolution in values”—against militarism and racism and extreme materialism—that could lead to restructuring our economic and social system top to bottom.
In the spirit of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. we have to dare to see the world as it really is, and then to choose justice over tribe or nation or petty self-interest. We need to organize and mobilize against illegal wars of conquest and domination, send a sharp warning right now as the powerful mobilize to bomb Iran under the banner of the same exhausted lies and rationalizations, and press the demand for peace in concrete terms:
1. Withdraw all mercenary forces immediately.
2. Set a date-certain—within three months—for all U.S. troops to leave Iraq and Afghanistan.
3. Dismantle all U.S. military bases in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
4. Renounce all claims to the natural resources of Iraq.
5. Call for the creation of an independent international commission to assess and monitor the amount of reparations the U.S. owes to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.
This is only a start, and it is still a choice—solidarity with all people, or endless war and death. As King reminded us, those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable.
Bill Ayers 
Just found your site, via Politico. I read you. Tall order. As anthropologists have long shown, many societies have “war” built into their structure. Remove that and they no longer know who they are or how to function.
Your very birth is a great argument for abortion. Your sow mother should have been bacon
before your pig father rutted in the shit with her.
Mr. Ayers,
Before last night, I had never even heard your name. As I watched the Dem debate, your name was brought up because of your association with Barack. Like most stories today, it seems as though there is always a second side to every story. When your name was brought up, I decided to do some research into your background. While some call you anti-American or a terrorist, I find your story to be extremely intriguing and even inspiring. I have opposed todays war in Iraq from its beginning. I’ve gone so far as to debate and argue with those that support it. My anger and frustration over this war grows daily, but yet, what have I done as an AMERICAN to stop it? The answer is, I’ve argued and debated friends…that’s it. I’ve sacrificed nothing while those fighting this war have suffered immensely and 4000 have paid for this with their lives. I’ve sat on the sidelines and hoped that thousands of others would stand up and denounce this utterly stupid war. As the war progresses, still not enough AMERICANS are getting out of their suburban lazy-boys to do something about it. As of this moment, I pledge to become a voice for peace. While I find it difficult to agree that violent revolution is appropriate or necessary, I understand there are times it is not only justified, but sometimes demanded of us as AMERICANS. Our founding fathers were incredible men…we owe them more than can ever be repaid for their gifts to this nation. As Jarvis mentioned, I also hope you get what you deserve…however I differ on what it is I feel you deserve. Now that the national spotlight has been thrust upon you, I sincerely hope you will take the opportunity to stand up for what is right, and once again become a force for ending a war. I for one will stand with you.
It;s sad that in more than 30 years after the tragedy of Vietnam that there are still jingoistic people like”jarvis”, who responded before me. History has proven that the U.S. was wrong in the Vietnam war and history has already begun to write the tragedy of Iraq, Most Americans are coming to terms with the Iraq disaster and see that it is as ugly and terrible as just about anything this country’s ever done. They don’t like it. And they’re getting fed up with the neo-cons. Hopefully the American people won’t be fooled still again in another 30 years.
I disagree with the above poster…intensely…I think we all know that the motive to end the war in Vietnam, it was a moral imperative….
Sometimes the pendulum has to swing far to the breaking point for social change and social justice to occur…that does not mean that I support the killing of innocents in the name of justice, but it means that sometimes citizens must act out to end injustice whether it be Vietnam, Dafur or Tibet….Eventually when society self corrects the pendulum swings back to center….it is the way of the world…
I condemn any hate mail you are receiving, AND ONLY WISH
PEACE TO YOU …. NAMASTE
Hey Ayers, remember Diana Oughton? She’s where you should be; in hell.
You are brave. Most people are not. I am sorry that you have to be brave for the rest of us, but I appreciate it.
Jarvis…Exactly how is someone that endorses peace as Mr Ayers did here a communist and a terrorist? You obviously have some issues. Perhaps you would also call Martin Luther King a communist and a terrorist. Its people like you that make me sad for the future of America…
You are consistent: a parasite and and killer.
“Call for the creation of an independent international commission to assess and monitor the amount of reparations the U.S. owes to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Are you saying that after paying ALREADY WAY TOO MUCH, WE the PEOPLE, need to pay more??? For what??? If you really advocate social justice then you should change 5 to be:
“Asses and monitor the amount of reparation the Bush’s clique (name them one by one) and the US Congress (name them one by one) OWE to the people of US (4000+ not here anymore, 30,000+ maimed) and to the people of Iraq,Afganistan(maybe millions killed, wounded and dispersed). NOT US THE PEOPLE should PAY, THEY the ELITE should!