In honor of MLK Jr. weekend. I'm going to post my MLK oratorical essay from a competition last year. MLK was a was with many identities and the topic was to pick one that we identify with.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a great man. However, the reason why he was great, as opposed to the fact that he was great is what has earned him my respect. I find it strange that historians portray him solely as the instigator of a civil rights movement because, to me, it belittles his achievements. Furthermore, I am saddened that those who are far older and wiser than myself are the ones who glorify him in such a manner without delving below the surface of who he truly was as a person. Yes, he was at the forefront of a movement that put humanity as a whole step closer to overall equality, but to imply that this great deed was his only lasting contribution to the world is a disgrace to his memory. Does nobody remember what he truly did?
People die everyday. They die feeling unloved and uncared for. They die believing that they were worthless. They die thinking that their loss shall not be mourned. Martin Luther King, Jr., however, believed differently and acted upon his beliefs. He brought us together. He made us care. He made us care because he himself cared.
Martin Luther King Jr. was great because he was a compassionate man. He stood up for those who could not stand for themselves. He planted seeds of hope in the minds of people who had none and nurtured them into a forest of vines that connected all their souls to those of their neighbors. Every statement he said and every action that he did shouted to every man, woman, and child of every race and size one message: “I care!” and it echoed. It echoed from the shores of San Francisco to the fields of Augusta. From a little city called Montgomery, Alabama, to a mighty city in the shape of a diamond called Washington, D.C. This message stirred embers in the hearts of even the coldest men and made them feel what they previously thought that they could not feel: love. He made the lowest of the low feel this unconditional love, and so in return, they gave unconditional love.
It is this phenomenon that gives me the ability to relate the most to the message of this remarkable man: the idea that there is a balance in the world, the idea that good and honorable intentions will breed good and honorable results. It is this very idea that has inspired my love for the _____ field. I think of this: If every person that I am able to help as a _______ is compelled to help or save another, could you imagine the magnitude of that? Can you imagine what that will mean for mankind? Of course, it will begin as a minor ripple in a vast ocean, but as time goes on and more people spread kindness and peace, all of our collective action will make a significant difference, especially in the contemporary world.
I want to make a difference. I want to stand up and help those who cannot help themselves. I look around me and I see a race of humans that no longer cares about their fellow brothers and sisters. What has happened to the days where every man in a five-mile radius would join together to help his neighbor build his home? Whatever has happened to giving to those in need? Whatever has happened to unselfish giving? Martin Luther King Jr. saw my vision, so he showed the world what it truly meant to love thy neighbor and care for thy neighbor. He gave the world what he could give it, and the world gave back tenfold.
I will make a difference. Maybe it will not be as great a difference as Martin Luther King Jr. made, but still, at least it will help. And that is what is most important: It will help.
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” ~ MLK Jr.
