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Tung Tran

Ms. Giovannetti

English 1H; Period 1

16 December 2016

Freedom: Given or Demanded?

Twelve score ago, our Founding Fathers were seceding from England to be its own country and

have freedom. But what does freedom mean? By the dictionary definition, it means the power or right to

act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. But look at Americas history so far, it is

filled with slavery, discrimination, sexism, and so much more. From a certain point of view, America

doesnt really stand for the idea of freedom, but of false hope. If people want freedom, they would have to

demand it. If it wasnt for people such as Martin Luther King Jr. or Abraham Lincoln fighting for

peoples freedom, then America would probably be different from what it is today. Freedom must be

demanded by the people, for the people.

Although America was founded on the idea of freedom, the idea never came true. For example,

Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech called I Have a Dream in which he stated, it is obvious today

that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Negro

people have been given a bad check, a check which has come back marked :insufficient funds (48). This

statement makes the audience understands that the black people were treated unfairly by the government,

giving them their rights, only to be taken away later. In the quote, it meant that the black people in that

time period had to fight for their freedom and equality because they were treated unfairly by the

government, although it clearly states in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created

equally. Another example of this could be found in Lincolns speech, Gettysburg Address. In the speech,

Lincoln stated, ...engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and
so dedicated, can long endure (Lincoln). This quote explains that America separated from England to be

its own independent country so that everyone can be free. But 87 years later, the people of America are at

war with each other because the black people arent treated as the lower-class while the white people are

treated as the upper-class. This goes to show that freedom wasnt an idea for every American.

Besides the fact that the idea of freedom isnt real and is just propaganda, it should still be

demanded rather than given because the fight for freedom is still not finished. The fight started during the

1905 when the black people didnt want to be treated as animals. Only after Rosa Parks arrest and started

King speaking out in 1955, did it really start. In the article which analyzed Kings I Have a Dream and

what happened that day, Nobody Turned me Around, by Charles Euchner, the author wrote, He

reminds the crowd that they need faith-stronger than any troubles of the moment-to realize the dream

(66). The quote helps to understand that the black people need to keep fighting and believe in their dream

so they can earn their freedom, freedom from discrimination. This line is relevant since it showed that

African American back then had to demand for their freedom because they werent treated equally as

those with lighter skin color. This can be backed up in Robert F. Kennedys Eulogy for Dr. Martin

Luther King Jr. In his speech, Kennedy said, It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of

lawlessness; it is not the end of disorder (27). The audience can understand that those times were

difficult for the black people. In the instance, the text shows that even after Kings death, the black people

still continue to fight for their freedom and equality. In short, freedom isnt Americas main objective

anymore.

Americans should demand their freedom instead of being given is because discrimination still

exist. Sure, people do not discriminate people in public anymore, but people still do it behind their back.

During the 1900s, people were discriminated because they had different skin colors from the white

people. King mentions this in his dream when he said, I have a dream that my four little children will
one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their

character (50). The quote helps the audience understand that people are judged based on their skin color

than their personality, not giving the person a chance to show him or herself. What King is trying to say is

that America doesnt support it is own idea that all men are created equal. This is added in Nobody

Turn Me Around. In the essay, Euchner said, Kings whole speech has told of the hard, violent, brutal,

unfair, unjust life of black people in America. The people have suffered. So many people have been

teargassed, beaten, kicked, burned, bombed, shot (62). The quote shows the truth on just how bad unfair

the black people were treated during the 1900s based on their skin. This connects back to the idea that

people need to fight for their freedom because if they do not, they are going to continue to be

discriminated. From this, people can conclude that it was not and still is not a good time for the black

people.

It has been stated that freedom should be demanded, but some people still believe that freedom

should and has already been given. Although that may be true, freedom should still be demanded because

people are treated unfairly by the government and by everyday citizens. The only way for people to have

freedom and to be seen as equals to everyone else is if freedom is demanded. If freedom isnt demanded,

then people are going to be treated as a lower-class and thats not what the founding fathers fought for.

They fought for the right to be free and that all men are created equal.

Works Cited
Euchner, Charles. from Nobody Turn Me Around: A Peoples History of the 1963 March on Washington

California Collections. Ed. Kylene Beers, Martha Hougen, Carol Jago, William McBride, Erik

Palmer, and Lydia Stack. Orlando: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. 55-68. Print.

Kennedy, Robert F. A Eulogy for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. California Collections. Ed. Kylene Beers,

Martha Hougen, Carol Jago, William McBride, Erik Palmer, and Lydia Stack. Orlando: Houghton

Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. 25-28. Print.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. I Have a Dream California Collections. Ed. Kylene Beers, Martha Hougen, Carol

Jago, William McBride, Erik Palmer, and Lydia Stack. Orlando: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017.

48-51. Print.

What I Changed

1) I out my last name on the heading.


2) I took out the s and other words you told me to.

3) I made my thesis shorter and clear.

4) I clarified my matters in my first paragraph.

5) I shortened my quote and cited Lincoln (although there was no paragraph).

6) I cut my analogy about animals and tried something else.

7) I tried elaborating on my quote.

8) I took out the sentence where you said it was vague.

9) I added in my matters about how they should keep believing in their dreams.

10) I tried another way on how to say why the quote mattered.

11) Instead of saying freedom was push aside, I said that it wasnt Americas main objective because

my topic sentence in the paragraph stated how the idea of freedom was never completed.

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