MLK Day

The great Martin Luther King Jr. can be considered a martyr because he was assassinated for his belief and for the journey he took to get the black community the same rights the white community has in the United States of America. In the speech before his assassination he said, "I've been to the mountaintop. . . . And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land." Dr. King knew what he was doing would lead him to death and it eventually did. Even though he died, he still completed his task. Almost 50 years later, if he was alive today he would be proud to see that his people obtained equal rights but would be disappointed to see the violence that has been developed within the black community.

Dr. King once said, "We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools." These words should let people know that what he is saying that every man needs to live peacefully or we will all kill each other. This is the case in many heavily black populated cities such as Camden, parts of Detroit, and Compton. The blacks in those areas are turning against one another by joining different gangs and senselessly killing one other. Martin Luther King also said, "People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” Dr. King knew that communication was the key to peace but it seems that no one want to communicate today.

If Martin Luther King were to come to my school and see all that we have been doing with our civil rights, I believe he would be disappointed.  Walking through our halls he would see young men with their pants below their butts, young women showing a little too much of their body, and would see each other disrespect one another with foul profanity. If he were to go into a classroom he would see young people disrespecting teachers, others sleeping, or not being attentive. Martin Luther King fought for the full education of black people and to see people in my school take advantage of such a thing the way we're doing, would disappoint him very much.

In the words of DR. King, “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Martin Luther King would want what he has been fighting for to continue but it seems after 45 years the black community has not moved much. We've overcome the obstacle of inequality but face a new obstacle of hatred toward one another. Like King said, "We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools." and right now we are perishing.