“As someone who stands here as a direct consequence of Dr. King’s life work, I am living testimony to the moral force of non-violence,” he said. “But as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by [those] examples alone. I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince Al Qaeda’s leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force may sometimes be necessary is not a call to
...more
