A Time to Break the Silence – Speech Delivered 4th April 1967, Riverside Church, New York City by Martin Luther King, Jr.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm

“The essence of the speech focused on the war in Vietnam. The belief of the clergy took the theme of silence is betrayal. The conclusion was reached that they must speak out against the war over the objection that peace and civil right do not mix. King viewed such comments as a tragic misunderstanding of the world. He emphasized that he was not at the meeting to speak to China, Russia, the National Liberation Front, and/or Hanoi. He was there to speak to his fellow Americans who have the responsibility of ending the conflict that has extracted a heavy price on Vietnam and America.”