Anna Jackobs

Ms. Giovanetti

English 1H Period 3

16 December 2016

Freedom: A Necessary Right for All

What does the Battle of Gettysburg and the Battle of South Dakota have in common?

Some may say they were both battles, one old history, one recent, however, the fact of the matter

is that all of these battles were fought in the name of freedom. Freedom is a loaded topic, and

many thinking that the fight for freedom is just as important as actually obtaining freedom.

Nevertheless, it is necessary to understand that freedom should be a basic right, not something to

be fought for. A Eulogy for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Robert F. Kennedy, Nobody Turn

Me Around: A Peoples History of the 1963 March on Washington by Charles Euchner, and I

Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. all can agree with this, that the world could benefit

from freedom being given as a right to all people, not just who we pick and choose. Freedom is

not something that should take innocent lives, that should tear apart communities, or that should

put people at odds with one another, freedom should be a basic right for all people.

Fighting for freedom is constantly depriving people of their life, whether it be because of

the physical battle or because they live their entire life restricted. African Americans gathered on

April 4, 1968, anticipating a political occurrence, but were met with bad news. Robert F.

Kennedy took the stage and braved the audience; Martin Luther King was shot and killed
tonight. Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice for his fellow human beings,

and he died because of that effort. (25). Kennedy stood in front of a prominently African

American crowd and told them that their advocate, their campaigner had died, no was murdered,

that day. This is not something that should happen to anyone, especially someone who is

standing up for people that couldnt stand up for themselves, who were pushed to the back and

thought of last. Martin Luther King was a chief spokesman for equality for black people, and was

killed because someone disagreed with his views. Because of this, it is evident that the loss of so

many lives could have easily been avoided or at least subsided had freedom been given to

everyone.

Not only does the fight for freedom deny people of their lives, it also rips apart

communities in the process. Martin Luther King Jr. once said in his famous speech I Have a

Dream: Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with

soul force,. The marvelous new militancy, which has engulfed the Negro community, must not

lead us to a distrust of all white people. (49). This further proves that communities, Negro

communities specifically, were harmed during the process of obtaining freedom. This

community, one that was once close together, was torn apart by the new militancy that

happened during this war for freedom. This battle to cure the injustice to African American

people was threatening to break a once close knit community. Unfortunately, the African

American community was not the only to be broken, in fact others were shattered during this

fight, which further proves the importance of freedom disposed to everyone.

 Family is something that is important to many people, but with the fight for freedom,

family could easily be taken from them. Charles Euchner indirectly quotes King by saying,

King warns his people to maintain their own dignity, to avoid the temptation to embrace

bitterness or violence. (59). This shows that it can be very easy to go a place of hatred instead of

having a positive outlook. King was a victim of racial discrimination, so to hear this coming

from King himself, it seems very real that people can become hateful in this position. Martin

Luther King Jr. was not only a political activist, but a father, a husband, a son, and more. With

his death, this family was taken from him. This is why it should be strongly noted by not only the

black community, but all other people of color that hatred, violence, or anger will not only hurt

the people around them, but can hurt themselves mentally. The fight for freedom can cause so

much hurt, but many think that the hurt is just physical, however it is obvious through Kings

message that the emotional pain can be just as great as the physical.

Freedom is one of many American values, but not everyone gets that right; and many go

through tribulations to achieve what is already handed to others. Losing friends and family,

breaking up communities, and causing hatred among people are just a few of the outcomes of the

struggle for freedom. Some people will argue that the fight for freedom will not only make the

people want the freedom more, but will also make them appreciate the freedom they receive.

However, these people do not take into account the lives that could be lost, the hatred that will

reside in people, or the communities torn apart. Therefore, these people should recognize the

struggle and learn to accept the fact that everyone should be equal. People of every gender, race,

ethnicity, and religion need to understand this not just those who have opposing viewpoints.
Anybody and everybody needs to recognize the multitude of problems related to the struggle for

freedom and learn to make sure that everyone is given equal opportunities.

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.

Key

_____ Evidence in growth of supporting and developing thesis

_____ Evidence in growth of using textual evidence to support thesis