Freedom

‘“I have a dream,”’ was a phrase heard by more than 200,000 Americans on August 28, 1963. Since then, Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream,” has resonated through millions of minds and thoughts in the world. For being a “Free Nation,” as we declare it, now and until the end, racism will always be someplace in this country. In his speech, King points out that the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence guaranteed all men life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These documents however did not recognize blacks and women.

The life of the blacks in 1963 was a harsh and crucial time. Blacks could not go to school with the whites, be friends with them, or even drink from the same water fountain as they did. Blacks could do nothing in the white world, they had lives that were locked up. White Americans considered them animals and white Americans used them as slaves. Life as they knew it was worth nothing. To cause Civil Rights, one brave man stood up and said, ‘“I have a dream, that one day we will be free at last”’ (King 1). That powerful speech gave the audience hope and courage to stand up and live the life they wanted. The blacks refused to sit in the back of the bus, and do many other things that were prohibited from them. If they went to jail that was fine with them, they knew the pride they would get out of trying, and they knew it would be worth it in the end and that their hope was to build a better future for them and that of their children. The lives of the blacks are still discriminated against today in 2009. Besides their dark skin color, they are just like the whites, however, racist only see color and nothing else.

Slavery and freedom can never live peacefully together. The Civil Rights Bill of 1875 was to grant liberty to act and to believe without being stopped by force, but instead it shunned several privileges. Every man, no matter race, religion, or other belief, shall be protected in doing what he believes in his duty against the influence of authority. Mankind is best when it is free. Liberty is, and always will be unfinished business. There will always be that one person in the world that believes in racism and not giving people of a different race freedom and liberty. The whole people formed the Union. Let the tree of liberty grow, not die.

The secret to happiness is freedom. If the people believe in this powerful bible passage that, ‘“There is neither Jew nor Greek, Slave nor free, Male nor Female, and that we are all one in Jesus Christ”’ (Paul 14:40) this world would be a happier place to live. All should live free and all should die free. Happiness of the individual comes from within the mind. The blacks did not and to some, still do not equal the whites. Should they not have freedom and happiness? No, we Americans need those people that think whites are the only superior ones to believe that no matter what, every race is equal.  Everybody deserves that right to be happy. If we could all come together and change a few peoples state of mind, America would become a great country and be happy as a whole. People of a different race wouldn’t have to worry about walking down the street and getting discriminated against. God made all of his children equal and loves each one the same no matter what. Search within your soul to find happiness.

‘“This is the land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims pride, from every mountain side, let freedom ring”’ (Samuel Francis Smith). The Civil Rights Act was passed inn 1957, which outlawed racial discrimination in employment, restaurants, hotels, amusement parks, arcades, and any other facilities receiving government money. In 1965 the Voting Rights Act was imposed to prohibit any discrimination with respect to voting and in 1967 the Supreme Court ruled that laws forbidding interracial marriage would be made illegal under the Constitution. In 1968 the Civil Rights Act was amended to include that discrimination with regards to housing would also be unlawful. Let every person in this country have life, liberty, and happiness. Let’s all come together and make Martin Luther’s speech come true. Our children, grandchildren, and generations to come deserve the right to be free and not have racist thoughts going through their minds. Let’s come together and grow as a nation. ‘“One day we will be free at last”