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Name & Last Name

Miss C

Honors English 9

17 December 2018

How Words Can Change a Nation Forever

Words can aspire a positive change in a nation, such as when there was the problem with

racism in 1880 to 1964, especially since many people across the nation felt outraged and

hopeless during the Civil Rights Movement, having to deal with segregation, discrimination, and

racism. However, their perspective on these problems changes to hope and determination when

both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Francis Kennedy delivered their empowering and

inspiring speeches. The Civil War officially abolished slavery in 1865, however it did not end

the unequal rights between African Americans and Americans. In hopes of ridding the injustice,

violence, and rebellion across the nation, Dr. King and Kennedy both wrote and presented their

speeches to their listeners. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy’s speeches both

inspired those not only struggling with the problems of the nation but also Americans who truly

believed that African Americans should have the same equal rights as they do, their speeches

helped those who were fighting for their rights remain peaceful, have hope, and most

importantly, they inspired their listeners.

Robert F. Kennedy’s speech on King’s death the town of Indianapolis stay calm and

peaceful during this devastating time for them. People know that his strategies worked on the

town because Indianapolis was one of the only towns to not resort to violence, try to get revenge,

or to riot. In Kennedy’s speech, he informs his listeners, calmly on King’s assassination and

reasoning with them why they should not resort to violence, but to stay patient and peaceful. He
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motivates them to stay peaceful and patient under these circumstances by emphasizing the choice

he would like them to choose and by using Martin Luther King as a reference, “... you may be

filled with bitterness, with hatred, and a desire for revenge… or we can make an effort, as Martin

Luther King did, to understand and comprehend, and to replace that violence… with compassion

and love” (Kennedy). One may ask, “What if they were to go with what Kennedy first said and

resort to violence?” The solution to that possible problem would be for him to provoke them to

further into choosing to stay peaceful and to realize the possible future consequences that they

would have to deal with. For example, before allowing them to get revenge or act in a violent,

dangerous manner, he explains why they should not, and he then gives them a much better

alternative. Not only does Ronald F. Kennedy use a calming strategy to help keep the people

peaceful, but Dr. Martin L. King does as well. Not only does he help explain why they should

remain calm and collected, but he also keeps a calm tone of voice in the beginning, along with

Abraham Lincoln as an idol in his speech, using, “Five score years ago, a great American, in

whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation” (King 261).

Since he used Lincoln as a reference in his, “I Have a Dream” speech, he is able to attract more

listeners, meaning that he would have a greater chance of others understanding and standing up

for him and the message of his speech. For instance, if one were to write a speech or

announcement insisting on a subject about presidency and its importance, would not one think

that it be best to include or use the past or present presidents as an idol? And include any

examples that would make it much easier to understand for one's listeners? Not only was calming

the people down a good strategy to help create a change, but also making personal or relatable

connections to help change the negative aspect of those who listened to or read either, or both, of

their speeches, into an inspiring, positive perspective.

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One of the strategies used by Martin L. King to help his audience stay hopeful was by

using figurative language so that his listeners would have a visual representation and better

understanding of what his message was implying. In King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, he

incorporates a simile to help his listeners comprehend his main ideas. The analogy King used in

his speech was, “...we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt” (King 262).

Approximately 250,000 people attended and supported King’s speech on August 28th, 1963.

This allows others to visualize how many people King inspired and how many people gained

hope from his speech. Since King included this simile, he helped analyze the fact that most of

them were not being hopeful, and instead they were just giving up and resorting to violence. Not

only this but with him stating this he helped emphasize the fact that they should not just give up

and they should always persevere. This is just like how RFK also helped others to become or

stay hopeful in his speech, yet they both used different strategies. When Kennedy informed his

listeners upon MLK’s death, he discussed how even though they were not a perfect country, it

did not give the people permission to respond with violence and hatred. Furthermore, he states,

“But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want

to live together, want to improve the quality of our lives and want justice for all human beings

who abide in our land” (Kennedy). This helps conclude the statement of both MLK and RFK

fighting to help their listeners remain hopeful. For instance, since RFK utilized those specific

words, he helped others realize what they should be doing, instead of creating violence and he

does this to help make his listeners become hopeful. These are not the only factors that these two

inspirational men did to help their country, this is just one of the many positive changes they did

for their country.

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Finally, one of the last reasons why these two famous figures are so memorable is

because they inspired both the people and the nation to have free and equal rights for everyone

no matter their race or their social class. In MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech, he uses repetition

when he states, “I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with

the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis

freedom and justice” (King 263). This emphasizes what he wants for both his people and the

nation, freedom and equality for everyone in the future. If the state of Mississippi did not change

then it could have been possible that all the other states could have became as cruel and unjust as

Mississippi was. This reveals that MLK was able to inspire a state to change from a cruel

environment to a peaceful and sympathetic state. RFK was the other individual who inspired his

listeners because in his speech, he argued on how they should know that although there still may

be violence and many flaws in their country, they should still believe, trust, and support each

other during those difficult times. RFK establishes how they should all keep in mind to have an

effort to strive for a better world, “Let us dedicate ourselves… to tame the savageness of man

and make gentle the life of this world.” This is as inspiring as one’s parents, it acts like a guide to

the right way and can be supporting depending on the perspective taken by each individual. This

also shows how it relies on them to help positively change their lives to the way that they would

believe to be equal. Lastly, these two historically important men, helped give a different point of

view to their listeners and helped show them that they too may have to risk some things in order

to get heard to make a change.

The amazing impact of both MLK and RFK speeches is extraordinary! It was what they

intended to do, to change or simply inform the people. They both lifted or saved the people that

were drowning in problems, especially those having to face discrimination and the unfair rights
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that they had. They encouraged others to respond to the situation peacefully while at the same

time giving people hope. They both managed the frustration and anger in those dealing with

racism and all the consequences with it, by maintaining it and calming everyone down.

Ultimately, words can be inspiring in differents ways, by different people, and for different

reasons. Words can be life-changing, as it is in this case. Two amazing, inspiring people helped

show their nation about all the frustrations and hopelessness that those who were dealing with

racism, segregation, and so much more, while helping to change those who were devastated or

angered to become hopeful and peaceful. Although there are many other life-changing people out

in the world, but these two, Dr. Martin Luther King and Ronald F. Kennedy, are the two most

remembered and loved by all.