On Monday, January 16 we are remembering the life and teaching of Martin Luther King, Jr. throughout the United States. While we each may enjoy a day off of school, we do not want to lose the purpose of commemorating his life and his impact on the United States and the world by taking the day for granted.
Martin Luther was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son, grandson, and great grandson of Baptist ministers. While he initially was reluctant to accept his inherited occupation, during his time at Morehouse College, Dr. King began to learn how to use his devout Christian beliefs and his natural ability to gather people to promote the ideas of social change.
As his life continued, he actively engaged in the promoting the civil rights of African Americans and the social changes so long overdue. While the civil war ended nearly 100 years prior to Dr. King, it was not until the 1960’s that America began to recognize the equality of African Americans.
The teachings of Martin Luther King are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago. Even though we have taken great strides as a country, we still hear and see acts of prejudice and bigotry in our society. While we strive for equality and tolerance, we know there is still hate in the world. Dr. King would encourage us to seek out acts of hate and intolerance in the world and find peaceful solutions to promote the human spirit.
In addition to Monday being a day for remembrance, it should also be a day of action. A day dedicated to doing something to promote humanity and discourage intolerance.
The following is a link to the King Center. The website includes many interesting and thought provoking ideas, including a biography of Dr. King and the history of the holiday.
What do you think Dr. King would think of our world today and the changes the country has undergone? Can you think of situations in our world today where intolerance and prejudice exist? What actions are you willing to take to promote the human spirit and the ideas of tolerance, acceptance and forgiveness?
vince- i think that dr. king would be very proud of our world today and all of the changes we have made to make this world a better place for everyone. i dont really know where intolerance and prejudice exist but it might exist in poor towns like the bronks. i am willing to do whatever our country asks of me.
ReplyDeletenissa-trekster- I think that Dr. King would be proud and upset at the same time about our world. Don't get me wrong, it's improved a ton over the last 70+ years, but there's always something to improve upon, such as technology being spread around the world to 3rd world countries, better medical care, more shelters,etc. Also, he was a peace activist, so I don't think he'd be too happy about the war in the Middle East right now. Sadly, even though we think ourselves very proper and educated about preventing hate, prejudice, intolerance, etc.; we really aren't practicing it in certain areas such as poor areas around the world; even in this very country! Slums and ghettoes around the world have gangs in them, commiting hate crimes against certain people out of prejudice. I am willing to spread awareness about the danger and awfulness of hate crimes, gangs, etc. because everyone should know how hurtful gangs, bullying, and hate crimes are, especially because when one truly boils down most situations like those, is that prejudice is usually at the center of it all.
ReplyDeleteSena-I think Dr. King would be proud and disgusted of our world today. Yes, now everybody is equal but it is not I good place right now. Sadly prejudice does still exist. Not through our government though, through us. People are still very racist and cruel to others who don't look the same. They are prejudice towards people with different skin tones, different living situations, and different religions. I am willing to make speeches, starting at school, and to educate others about our world today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletematea(bulldog)- I think that Mr. King would be proud of our country today. There are also some things that he wouldn't be proud of. There are still some racist people out there. Some people hid it while other people don't care. some people are prejustice to people on the computer. Like they will say bad things about them. It could be their skin tone, religon, or anything else that they wantto be mean about.I am willing to do anything for our country. If i could write books about this stuff, or go to classes and tell them all the bad things that can happen by being racist.Make songs about being nice to people and not being racist. to let everyone has their own feelings, and you can't just step on them like thay don't matter. You have to feel what the other person feels. You can not judge people unless youv'e stepped into their shoes.
ReplyDeleteRyan- I think Martin luther King would be proud. He would see the a lot of segregation has stopped,but its still out there in places like South America and Africa.There in the darck . places you barley hear about it because it never get to the public.It stays in there little gangs.There is some segregation i think in the United States but its very little like in a small town. if i would do some ting about stoping it completely i would but its nearly impossible to stop all of it. I would teach kids that segregation is something that should never happen. If it did happened they should disagree with it and try to fight back peacefully.
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ReplyDeleteI think Dr. King would be very happy in the way our world has evolved since he was killed. Now most people in the USA are treated equally. Some places in the middle east don't treat women equally. They don't let them vote, drive,or even show their faces. if you see some one bulling another person you should stand up for them. Dr. King treated everybody equally I think that helped the world evolve to the way it is now.
Jacqueline..... Where do you even begin with this topic? I think that Dr. King would be proud of our country in some ways but disappointed in others. We have gone a long way from where we were 60 years ago, but still problems are right under our noses sometimes bubbling up. Let's face it....... there are plenty things and places that have prejudice and intolerance. I know there are sooo many but I can't think of one to name out. Its hard to think of taking action as one, but it's easier when you have friends to support you also. I think schools should teach against racially problems and help to better educate their students on problems that are going on today rather than many years ago. Some kids, well most kids seem to blank out when they hear the constant preach about then, but I think they should be informed on now. Maybe then we can understand what we need to do today. I don't mean this blog to offend anyone. This is just what I think.
ReplyDeleteJacqueline.... To add on to my blog I forgot about forgiveness and acceptance. NO one can make you truly forgive, but maybe once you learn to except others then you can learn to except who your are and see your faults instead of others. Maybe if we try this than we can learn to change things from negative to posotive and live like Jesus wanted us to. YOu know.... Love your neighbor as yourself.
ReplyDeleteKatie H.-i think Dr. King would be proud of how far we have come since he lived but I still think there can be many more improvements in our country reguarding equality. In some countries there are problems with racial and gender equality. One thing that I think people don't realize is that VIOLENCE DOES NOT DO ANYTHING TO IMPROVE THESE PROBLEMS!!!! I think it would be better if people sat down and worked out these problems. I am willing to do any thing to improve these problems that isnt violent but I agree with Jackie, I don't think anyone can make you forgive but you should accept people for who they are and try to improve yourself and see how you can make a change in the world.
ReplyDeleteJacob- I think that Dr. King would praise the progress we have made, but he would also seek out the faults in our society and fix them. He would always be making something better for everyone. There are some places in this world where people are not treated correctly. Gay people are discriminated in some states (including Idaho). Being gay can effect there job, housing, and safety. I have personal experience with this, and I would be willing to do almost anything to promote humanity and discourage intolerance.
ReplyDeleteTaylor- I think Dr. King would be proud and not so proud of our world today. He would be proud that his speech actually made a difference and African Americans are being treated better than before. He might not be so proud because they still aren't said to be equal. I think they are just as equal to white people as white people are. But some people still think that African Americans are less than them. Which i don't understand at all. I think prejudice exists in religion. Some people don't like certain religions for I don't know why. Does the religion of another person affect you in your own personal life? No. I think of it like this. Say you don't like African Americans. Why don't you? Is having African Americans around going to kill you? No. Actions I would take would be making speeches at school and just letting people know how equal African Americans are to white people.
ReplyDeleteAmaia- I think Dr.King would be very satisfied with our great improvements. Although, there are still people that refuse to coexist with people who do not believe the same as them, which is sad. The fact that someone judges someone else based on pigment of their skin is a sign of immaturity and stubbornness. It seems that a vast majorty but not limited to is racismim in the south. After all, they are the ones who took the longest to accept the fact that the color of someone's skin does not define them as a person. I would love to go back down to the south and see how things really are now. I would help by talking to predjudice people about there views, stick up for the victims recieving racism, and sticking up for my beliefs regardless of the consequences.
ReplyDeleteAaron- I think dr king would think our world is much better today then it was in '63. I think he wouldn't like the wars that we have.I think that in jobs that African American people try to get, people pay them way less. If I was in a situation where a African American was being treated unfairly because of his/her race I would separate it.
ReplyDeleteNiko"....................Mr. King would like it a lot more now.he is one of the greatest people of all time.he is a fighter of evil.i would do anything
ReplyDeleteTo promote good
ReplyDeletebelle- okay now this is a hard one to right about without takeing one hour for you to read this one comment, well dr. king was an AMAZING man not to mention a preacher so you really know he's close to God and what kind of life style he lived. He really got everyone to go out and prove to everyone that segregation is wrong. I think Dr. King would be proud and upset about or world today. He would really enjoy how the world is today because of the way people treat each other but, there still is lots o problems in our world today including hate crimes,prejustice,wars, and, people judging just beacuse there differnt from someone else. People who think that they can stubbernly mistreat people beacuse of there skin are completly wrong and have something wrong with them. I really liked jackies coment on forgiveness and exceptince beacuse in our socity people have trouble forgiveing others and exceptince is something everyone wants and waits for but not evryone gets. dr king changed the world and many peoples lifes and im sure everyone in the earth is happy God put him on this world i think thats a good LITTLE sinopsis of what Dr king started.
ReplyDeletebelle _ my dads faviorite qoute is "the time is always right to do whats wright"by martin luther king jr
ReplyDeletei think thats a great qoute to live by
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Kordell K-dog- I think Dr. King would like it a lot more now and I think he would change a lotin our life. I think Dr. King is farly one of the greatest people in our lifetime. I would do anything to meet him he was a woderful man and always would be.
ReplyDeleteAlice-I think that Dr.King would be happy and sad with our world, because there is finally equality among blacks and whites but now there's more problems to deal with and most of them are not pretty. Intolerance and prejudice? Well, walmart is racist and sexist in their employees payment. Um...that's all I can think of right now...but I would do anything to help make out planet a better place!
ReplyDeleteCatie-I think that he would be very proud of our progreaa. Some men get paid more than women for the same job which makes me mad. I am willing to do a lot to make the life we live in better.
ReplyDeleteDANN SABALA I think martin luther king would love the changes. Besides the war and how people are dying from starvation he would be proud of our country. without his help our country would be a disaster. Some television programs can be prejudice and still some states. I am willing to stand up for people by telling people to stop or what they did wasn't right.
ReplyDeleteDillon-I think that Dr. King would proud of how we have changed from then to today, but I also the think that he would be ashamed of all of the war that is going on in this world today. He would be ashamed because he was striving for peace in the world and we have so much war in our world today. Even though that we have come a long way, there are still many inequalities in our world today. Some examples are: increased poverty in blacks, unequal jail rates, increased drop out rate, and increased teenage pregnancy among blacks. I would become president of the United States and set an example of how to treat people of different race.
ReplyDeleteGabi- i think martin luther king would be really proud of the changes that our country has made since the time that he lived. i think sometimes there is people who are still prejudice, they may not be as violent has it was back went martin luther king was around but i believe even today some people still belive in being prejudice. i think that is sooo wrong and i dont understad why that would happen but i do believe that to be true. i would be willing to do aanything, standing up for others, stopping injustice, or anything that is asked of me that would help.
ReplyDeleteEmma- I think that Martin Luther King would be very proud of the changes that have occured since he lived, besides the starving people and all of the wars going on. Sadly people are still prejudice. I know that it wasen't as bad as back then but some mean things can come out of peoples mouths still. I have noooo idea why, but it sitll happens. There is no doubt in my mind not to stand up for others and stop injustice. I know that there is something special to every person and nobody should try getting in the way of that. I would be willing to help anyone who would ask for it.
ReplyDeleteNatalia- I think Dr. King would be very proud about how our world is today. There are still some things that need to be changed but other wise i think he would like it. I thonk there are many things in our world where predudice and injustice excist. I dont really know in any great examples but i know this needs to change to make our world better. I think i would do whatever it takes to make our world better. I would try to help those that need and try to make a peaceful world.
ReplyDeleteAlli- think that Dr. King would be very proud of our world today. I think that there are a lot of people that are still racest though. There are many things/people that are still predudice(I can't think of any off of the top of my head). I would do the most that I can to do to help the world.
ReplyDeletesushipirate/cody
ReplyDeletei think that he would be very proud of what he did for this country.there are so many poeple who still can not get over it and i think that it still goes on today.im willing to forgive other people when they hurt me and just forget about it and not let it keep me from moving on.
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Stephanie- I think Martin Lurther King would be proud of the changes i think the worst is over and i hope it never goes back to the way it was. i dont really know where prejudice lives. im willing to accept people for who they are and not judje them by what they look like but who they are inside.
ReplyDeletePeter- I think he would like the change but I also think he would say we are still only
ReplyDeletehalfway there. I also think that there is a lot of people in our country that are still very racist and very sexist.I am willing to do any thing for this country.I am very grateful to live in America. Most people in America in using me take living here for granted. God bless America.