I had a dream... these words rang out on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. They revealed the injustice being perpetrated against the Black community of their day. Dr. King in his own words said, "America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds. " The message contained in this speech is probably obvious to every reader by now. Dr. King was striving for equality, not equality for blacks, or equality for Chinese, Equality for ALL AMERICANS! He wasn't asking for special treatment, he wasn't asking for government action to make reparations for the decades upon decades of mistreatment at the hands of the very people who ran the government of this great nation. This message wasn't as much persuasive as it was revealing of what has to be done. He was revealing to all that would listen that love was the only answer to the hate and prejudice perpetrated by both sides on the issue. As he said, Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that. His use of all three styles of rhetoric throughout his speech displayed his excellent ability to share his ideas with his listeners through a peaceful logical means. He was an expert on the prejudice treatment of his people, because he seen it everyday. He used logic through out his speech by showing the white audience that if the situation was changed they would feel mistreated, and he made an emotional appeal by bringing to light the real treatment blacks were still receiving well after the signing of the emancipation proclamation. It would be hard to not be persuaded by this moving speech, but from the fact that prejudicial treatment is still an issue today, it would seem some were not.
No comments:
Post a Comment