MLK Urges Negotiated Settlement in Vietnam

July 2, 1965 - The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said tonight in Petersburg, Va., that the United States must negotiate a settlement in Vietnam. He also announced he was considering joining in “peace rallies” and teach-ins.

“I’m not going to sit by and see war escalated without saying anything about it,” the civil rights leader said.

The war in Vietnam “must be stopped,” Dr. King said. “It must be a negotiated settlement. We must even negotiate with the Viet Cong.”

“We’re not going to defeat Communism with bombs and guns and gases,” he said. “We can never accept Communism. We must work this out in the framework of our democracy.”Dr. King said he and his aides would study the use of “peace rallies” and teach-ins to bring pressure to bear in foreign policy. He did not elaborate on his plans.

Dr. King made his remarks at a rally sponsored by the Virginia branch of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

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