Question

Lines 88-99: What important reason does King give in these lines for opposing he war in Vietnam? Summarize King's defense of the reason he states.

Answer 1

In these lines of his speech "Beyond Vietnam," King states that he has seven reasons for not supporting the war in Vietnam. The first one he gives is the fact that the struggle of black Americans and poor Americans at home and the war in Vietnam are connected.

King argues that for a moment, before the war, he was able to see some hope for the poor through the poverty program. However, the war meant that all resources would have to be redirected towards fighting. He argues that America will never invest the necessary energy in the rehabilitation of the poor if at the same time they are fighting a battle overseas. So the war is, to King's eyes, an attack on the poor.