OK, took a wee bit of time for other things – time for me to get back to these papers! Latest one is now from Christi (previous: Previous papers were from Peter, Maggie, Laura, Kathryn, Grace & Tim, Catherine, Ben, Tyler, Jillian, & Michael)
A wise man once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” The man who spoke these words was Mahatma Gandhi, a very influential leader who changed all of India. So in answer to this question, yes, I do believe that my generation does play a role in America’s future but the role which we will play is dependent upon each individual of this generation.
Martin Luther King Junior was probably one of our country’s most inspiring leaders. He was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was smart, well raised, and had almost everything a child could want except one thing: freedom. Although he was able to live as a free man he did not have the basic rights every human deserves. He was treated as second-class citizen and, almost as the member of an entirely different race, but none of this held him back. “I have a dream” he shouted on the steps of Lincoln’s Memorial, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of it’s creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’” These very words forever changed the heart of America in a way no one thought possible. This one man was able to…
… influence his whole generation, which in turn changed the future. After this, laws were passed that eliminated racial segregation. Negroe’s were allowed to sit wherever they wanted, go to the same school, and have the same rights as a white person. They were treated with respect and dignity as they deserved. Now all of this change may have been instigated by one man but it never would have happened unless America as one united generation decided to take a stand with Martin Luther King Junior for what’s right and say enough to all the hate, prejudice, and stubbornness! That generation lead by Dr. King ushered in a new era of hope, love, and brotherhood that has affected millions of people today and will continue to throughout the years.
Another influential person who made a difference in America is Victor Perez. He bravely laid his life on the line by chasing a car full of kidnappers who had abducted a young child 6 to 8 years old. This young girl was not a friend or in any way related to him, but he felt that it was his duty to save her. It is modern every day people like this who make a difference in America. So many of us are tempted to think that we can’t have an impact on society, but the fact is is that we’re afraid. Afraid to reach out and help, afraid to make a difference, even afraid to save a life all because we might be looked down upon for being out of the ‘norm’ but if Martin Luther King, George Washington, or even men like Victor Perez had this attitude where would America be? I know too many times I’ve been afraid to take a stand for what’s right but when I think of all of the heroic men and women who have given their lives for this country’s it emboldens me to get out there and truly make a difference. So many people including myself have made the mistake in thinking that change is only in the hands of famous people like Martin Luther King, but people like Victor Perez have proved that this is not so. Change is in the hands of all those who are willing to seize the opportunity. So I encourage my generation to not think of yourselves as simply average but as vital to the future of America.
Robert Kennedy once said, “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work together to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” Not all of us will be like Martin Luther King Junior or Mahatma Gandhi, but each of us have a duty to our country. And that duty is to live honorably, and put others before ourselves. If everyone within my generation does this we will go down in history not only as changing America but as changing the world.
