The Fierce Urgency of Now

Today marks 50 years since Dr. Martin Luther King gave a speech opposing the Vietnam War. And a coalition called The Majority is launching a project called Beyond the Moment.

[A]n effort that aims to educate people across the country about important political issues and engage them in various organized efforts to speak out against issues that could harm marginalized communities most.

Update (April 18):  Ira Chernus reflects on King's comment that

The war in Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit.  If we ignore this sobering reality we will find ourselves... marching... and attending rallies without end. We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values.

Amid the growing resistance to the new administration, Chernus concludes:

The largest mobilization for progressive politics since the Vietnam era offers a unique opportunity to go beyond simply treating symptoms and start offering cures for the underlying illness. If this opportunity is missed, versions of the same symptoms are likely to recur, while unpredictable new ones will undoubtedly emerge for the next 50 years, and as Martin Luther King predicted, we will go on marching without end. Surely we deserve a better future and a better fate.