Did Martin Luther King, Jr., make a difference? Certainly some progress has been made. We know there are problems in the United States, but what can be done to solve them? How can poverty be eliminated? Hunger? Racism? Where do the solutions lie--in government policy? In each of our minds? Esperanza is able to examine her neighborhood with a critical, aware, and poetic eye. While reading, we are able to apply this to our lives and capabilities. Consider these websites, then respond: http://www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/bg1713.cfm
42 comments:
Somehow, couldn't/shouldn't we distribute the abundance in this country? We have both obesity and hunger problems. We have both extreme wealth and extreme poverty. I'm not suggesting socialism at all--history shows us that it doesn't work--but what could be done? (I just love billionaire philanthropists!)
What could this recent $145 billion tax relief event do (President Bush just announced it)? I do not understand all the intricacies of this move, but its intention is to stimulate the economy. Could the same action help poor neighborhoods?
I don't think hunger, poverty, and racism can be resolved by government policy alone, although it may help a great deal. Racism is something that takes place in one's mind. No matter how much the government makes laws against radical discrimination, etc. it doesn't change what people think. I think it's unfortunate that people can't accept that everyone is created equal and that not everyone's minds can be changed. However, discrimination has come a long way in the last century and hopefully, eventually, in a perfect world, I guess, people won't judge by looks.
Poverty can be caused by so many things, and can be defined as so many things. My family supports a girl through our church who lives in India, and I think her family is rich compared to some people who live here. They don't have to worry about the material things that cause people to become less than what they can be. However, there are pros and cons to each life. Living in poverty presents a daily struggle for food, shelter, clothing, and other necessities of life. It also causes people to focus on and be grateful for the things they have, which are the most important things in life. In my life it's God, family, and friends. Sometimes we have so many material possessions our minds become unfocused on the things that matter most. Poverty isn't always something one is born into. Gambling problems, credit cards, and other addicting and irresponsible activities can also lead to poverty. Poverty leads into the hunger issue. When people lack money they usually lack food and therefore the proper nutrients to survive. I think people that have the money and the power to make a difference and help people have the responsibility to do so. No one needs millions of dollars to buy useless things and nine bedroom houses. In theory it seems that if the extremely wealthy people and the middle class distributed their money to the poor equally, everyone would be equal financially at least. Of course that would never work. Some of the wealthy would never be willing to give up their money and some of the poor would regrettably waste it on drugs and alcohol. All in all I think the solution to all of the global issues is people. Not the government not the laws. We must come together and help each other instead of being so selfish and thinking that we are better than others because of what we have and what they don't. In the end we're all people and we will all face the same judgement, and if you think about it we are definitely not the ones to be judging each other.
You are an excellent, thorough, and critical blogger, EmilyL! You have helped me think in more significant ways than I would have on my own. Thank you.
I agree with EmilyL in many different ways, in how it is our choice if we want to be racist or not. Even though I do believe the fact of wheather you are racist or not has a great deal to do with what environment you grow up in. If you think about it if someone was to grow up in a household of Whites and had a father or mother who was racist against African Americans and would sometimes make rude comments about them, it's more likely you would not like African Americans also. I'm not saying it all has to do with what you grow up with, because if you think about it everyone has at least a little bit of racism in them no matter how much they deny it. Everyone makes judgements, it's all part of an ugly reality of human nature.
You make a lot of wise points, ylime--thanks. I really think our environment has a lot to do with our mindsets and our personal success. Relating to "Trading Places" with Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy-- True, our heredity plays a large role as well, but I would say environment has 80% or so of the contribution (20% to what we are born with).
I would have to say that I agree with that statement, because personally i have not grown up in a racist household but I am, as sad as it is, still judgemental towards certain people. Racism could also have to do with personal experiences with certain races or cultures. For example i was with one of my friends and we were leaving Good Will and we stoped at a stop sign and a car was behind ran into the back of her car. The man was a tall African American man who obviously wasn't born in America because he spoke with a African accent. From that point on whenever i see someone of really dark complexion and they cut me off or make a bad move driving i judge that they dont know how to drive because they aren't from America. Like i said before, everyone is at least a little bit racest.
The answer lies in lit - reading and writing. That’s how we take over and change our world. I invite you’s to read further at my blog and the links there. And to join the discussions at Outsider Writers and other lit zines. And listen to Mr. C, he's a sharp guy.
There are two ways of assigning blame for miserable, deplorable conditions in East St. Louis.
One, we blame the people who live there for their laziness. If these people will not work for a better life, how can they expect to succeed? Most of the time in this country, success comes from hard work.
Two, we blame the culture that keeps them from having a chance. If these people are never shown how to succeed, how can we expect them to? If they do not have an education, they cannot advance. If all the influences in their lives are harmful, how can they overcome so much?
I just want everyone to think deeply about what Esperanza and Smokey come face-to-face with every moment of their lives. To apply The House on Mango Street, a beautifully-written, provocative novel, to real conditions is a valuable literary experience, undoubtedly.
There is an interesting article in Sunday's (January 27) Argus Leader about a Garretson native who is middle-age, homeless, employed only here and there, and an alcoholic. He has been given an apartment on north Minnesota Ave. Because he has reliable living quarters, taxpayers have saved thousands of dollars because he has not had alcohol-related seizures and other medical problems incurred from homelessness. Helps him and helps the taxpayer. The next step, hopefully, is showing him "how to fish." There is that old saying, "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for his lifetime." It's obvious that this man needs to be "taught" and shown and guided back to respectability. Then, he can contribute to society and to his own welfare. Connects very well to strife in East St. Louis.
I think alot of the tax payers dont realize they are actually saving money by getting the man an appartment they think that he should be able to fix his problems with out a bunch of tax money. One thing to look at is the risk in getting the man an appartment he could do the same things in the appartment that he did when he didnt have a home, i think that it is not fair to the tax payer to fix this mans life but there is kind of no other option. Hopefully this man wont abuse the help given to him and get his life back on track
i belive while in both situatuions the person(s) have very little they are not the same. In the case of the man in "downtown" sioux falls he has an environment of success around him. Whereas the people in east saint louis have nothing around them. no job or postion to strive for in their own community. I think someone in sioux falls has a much better chance of reestablishing themselves to some amount of dignity.
I believe racism has come a long way but it is definitely still around. I have some uncles and cousins that constantly use the "n" word. During thanksgiving supper they tell racist jokes involving "mexicans, african americans" etc. This is a prime example of racism in todays culture. I could only imagine how it is like in the south. I think we should do something about this.
I think that if MLK Jr. did not do everything he did then we would still probly be back doing everything that we did to african americans. We might get better but not a whole lot because he inspired a lot of people to do great things.
Well inorder to FIX a problem one must look in to it and see whats all wrong. I would have to say that the US has so many problems that the people that are try to fix them cant do it fast enough or well enough for us to notice. If every body fixed one thing or started to fix it just one time a week then one would have to say that we could get over the hump and get rid of some of our problems.
i would have to say that inorder to get rid of proverty we are goin to have to quit using cheap labor. like get rid of the illegals and put people that are legally allowed to live in the US and give them the job. also if stop sending all of jobs to forigen countries then we could spemd that money here to have more AMERICANS work so we can get out of poverty. Well if we do what i said about poverty then hunger would not be an issue anymore.
Well inorder to get rid of RACISM we are goin to have to be just like them so that would mean that no one is better then anyone else, no one has more money, looks better, or is smarter. If we were all the SAME then there would be no rasicm.
There has been much done to help thoughs who do not have as much as most. Yes there has been much done but not enough. In order to help you need to be willing to do so. It does not matter much of what you do beacause even the smallest amount of kindness can change the path of somones life. It always seems easier to recieve then to give, but you do not get the feelong of acomplishment when you recieve. There is always something there that makes you want to reach out and help, but it is you who has to take the finale step to do so.
Everyone wants to better their lives, but in order to do so you need some kind of support or motivation that will help you bacome all that you can. It is hard for those in bad sittuations to better them selves ecause there are always those who are waiting to pull you down.
i forgot to add this.
then we would have a world like the story "Harrison Bergeron"
which does not end the greatest. so we will never get rid of racism
Back up to Dellman. I agree with exactly what he said homeless or deprived people in the city of sioux falls have better means as to properly raise themselves from what is poverty and hunger by just the shear enviroment around them compared to a low completely poverished area of East St. Louis. The odds of there being a passerby that gives them money, such as a good summaratan is more common in our well developed city. over the area of East. St. Louis where those very Good Sumaratans are afraid to travel. instead of having poor with the rich that we have in sioux falls, St. Louis has devided there territory and there land in to segregated areas not based on race but upon social and economical class.
I agree with adellman. I am sure it's a lot easier for a person to leave poverty and its habits when he is pressured by the success of the people around him. People in East St. Louis are stuck in poverty with no example of anything otherwise. However, even if the pressure was put in front of them, would they still be able to get back on their feet? or get on their feet at all? Who knows, maybe they are too set in their ways that it would take a little more than just providing an example to help them.
eliminating poverty, hunger, and racism will never happen the goverment will spend billions help other countrys take care of there problems even tho they cant even take care of there own.
I believe a lot of these problems of poverty is how materialistic some people can be. I try hard not to be but there are definately times where I enjoy certain comforts. People need to understand the difference between what they want and what they actually need. You constantly see people who live in poverty stricten areas driving cars that are worth more than their house. To me that doesn't really make any sense but in some circumstances that is what they think they really "need". If they understood what is really important, like being able to support them and their family without "trying to keep up with the Jones'" then maybe their problems wouldn't be as bad. Also,if people who had money started to really understand the value of a dollar it may make them more willing to help people who may not have as much.
I think that Martin Luther King made a huge difference in many peoples lives. But like all over the world there are always people that won't conform to the new ideas. And even though these shouldn't be new ideas, there are children growing up in racist homes that don't know any better. So we are on a forever backwards moving track. We can never get ahead w/ that many people living in the past.
I think that racism has changed a lot through the years. I havent really been around racism so I dont really know if it is still going on a lot to this day or if it has gotten better. I have a feeling though that racism will be around for along time espically in the south.
I Belive Martin Luther King, Jr., make a difference in opening the minds of so many people about the injustices the world has with racism. The only way problems will get solved is if the people come to a understanding as a whole that there are proplems we have to face up to if we like it or not. Poverty will never be eliminated because the world in not a perfect place and there are some things that will all ways be around but we can do things to help the needy.The same goes with hunger and racism. Do not rely on the government to change any thing because they are in it for themselves. This real proplem lies in each and every civilian in america if we want change the government will have to give it to us if enough people stand up to the government.
Ben Stein made a great statement a couple weeks ago on CBS's terrific Sunday morning program, which has feature stories on business, art, cinema, politics, literature, music, philosophy, and all things interesting (7:30-9:30, I think). Stein, a comedian, social critic, and intellectual, said every single one of these politicians makes promises about improving conditions for us. From that, he said that the only people who truly can improve our lives is us. We are responsible for changing things. We are responsible for our children and our own success. Stein says wisely that no one should rely on any politician. I liked that.
Being well read makes you more aware of things going on around you. You also have more references to relate to when you are doing accademic things.
mr king did great things but i dont think his piont got acrossed intel he was killed because this showed the world what can of mosters we have become because of racism and more people then tryed to change there minds and other to be more open
King did make a difference; he made more of a difference in his time then now as people look back and see what he did. When he did his speeches they made more of an impact then if someone today went back and read them because the issues back then aren't as bad as they are now. Poverty, hunger, and racism will probably never be eliminated totally because there are always going to be people that don't have to money to get out of poverty or get food, and there are also going to be those people who never will stop being racist. even if you don't think that you aren't racist you probably have said, thought, or heard something racist and did nothing about it. I don't think that the government could actually do anything for these people. People can get out of poverty but some choose not too. It all depends on the person.
MLK did alot for our country but it still isent what we would call perfect. I belive that no matter what is done, there will be someone who will not change thier ways. The comment about the government spending money on other countrys is a very true statement. Maybe we should worry about the kids in east st louis. What could be done to change this? Will our new president do any different?
i am going to have to agree with what Stein says, for the most part. There are alot of people out there that can help themselves and choose not to. For example i was watching Dr. Phil the other day and there was a couple living with their parents because they didn't want to take a job that was minimum pay. They didn't get that they had to choose between either no job or a minimum wage job and the Doctor had to explain that to them. Truly the only way to eliminate poverty and hunger is if the people want to help themselves, there's only so much other people can do for them. As the idiom goes if you give a man a fish he can eat for a day. But if you teach a man to fish he can feed himself forever.
I believe racism has come along ways and people our age are more open minded and willing to change things in our world, but depending on our government alone won't do anything because they have been trying to same things over and over for the past however many years, and hunger, poverty, and racism still exist, like the projects are ment to give poor people a home to live in, but the government has only put minimum money and maintence into these buildings and leaving it up to the tenants(who can't afford anythings) to fix the problems so all the buildings just fall apart, but let a private owner take over like some people have done, and the quality of the apartment building goes up becuase they give as much money and maintence as they want, they don't have a limit to spend. So if anyone wants to see change, we have to go at it with our own actions and ideas and not depend on the government to fix it for us.
MLK Jr, did make a difference by helping pave the way to reducing racism. He only helped in reducing the problem because as long as we have different colors and races, we will always have discrimination and racism. As long as we have social structures and the classes that make them up, we will always have problems such as poverty, hunger, racism, etc. By having volunteer organizations and with help from the government we can help in narrowing down the large amount of problems.
MLK made a difference in the world by trying to eliminate racism the best that he could and in attempting to do so, gave his life for his country and his beliefs. Racism is not as big of an issue today in some areas as it has been in our countries past, however in certain areas of the south racism is still as strong as it was in the sixties! I dont understand how certain people can be so narrow minded. Society, the world, our country is changing with the times and people are still stuck in the past. Why do people believe what they believe? How are they raised? Is this hate something that is imprinted into their minds because of parents beliefs, or are they born this way? Does the solution ly in parenting? Does the solution ly in our government? I think it is in both. People who have been brought up to hate a certain thing will teach whoever they can to hate the same thing. To end this process you have to hope that someday people will see their wrongs and start to parent to be against racism, sexism, any ism. The government can help by having stricter punishment for those who do break the laws and act out on their prejudices. We know the KKK and skinheads still exists in face we know where they are at. They continue to commit crimes and get a slap on the wrist. How are people like this to learn unless we set harsher ramifications for the action commited.
i would have to agree with lhenning about the fact that there will be racism as long as there are different races
I think that there will be racism until there is only one race. It's a part of our history and people today still use it. I don't think it should be used becuase everybody is a person some people just have different qualities, looks, and are different color. That doesn't mean we should be allowed to treat people like that. I know many people who make racist jokes everyday and it's not just one or two jokes... its one after another. And they will all laugh about them... some can be funny but it gets to a point where they aren't funny any more they can hurt.
Martin Luther King Jr. did make a difference, but I don't believe that we live in the world he pictured for today. This issue is beyond the race issue, though it is part of it. Today the world is corrupt, the government lies to us, people are selfish, and there are all sorts of "isms" everywhere. On Mr.C's first link, it says that 37 million people are considered poor in 2005. There are roughly 300 million people in the U.S. That means that more than 10% of the country is poor, and is probably a contributing factor to things like crime and national debt. MLK and other activists have and do take steps in the right direction, but the fact of the matter is that these people are nothing without some sort of following crowd. It's now common practice for most people to just turn the other cheek. It is easy to just avoid problems and act like they aren't, even though we can see them everywhere. These issues in our world won't solve themselves, we need to stop talking and start doing. People like MLK have opened the doors to change, now we need to step in and take action.
Martin Luther King did make a difference, he sped up the process of allowing African Americans the privilages they deserve, but still today they aren't treated exactly like whites. Great amounts of change have happened over the years in improving the lifestyles of minorities and giving them more freedom that they deserve, yet they still aren't treated equally by all races. Many problems in the United States all come from the fact that people don't treat others how they want to be treated, this is how racisim continues. Many of the problems of the United States, even the world for that matter, all revolve around basic human needs, and how they can't be achieved through lack of resources. Poverty is a big part, as without money in the world you can't go farther. Poverty in the United States isn't as bad as many of the countries in the world and over time it has been clearing up, but without aid poverty will never end. The poverty in the United States could be greatly cut down if our government would focus on the welness of the United States instead of other countries. For example right now we are in a war in Iraq that is a waste of time and resources, instead we could be improving the lifestyles of Americans instead of rebuilding structures we destroyed in the "War on Terror." Hunger once again could be solved if the government didn't waste money on things that don't consern us, such as the war in Iraq. If we focused the money on food for the starving in America we could greatly reduce the starving percentages. Racism, in all honesty, will never disappear. In the recent years it has substantually decreased and the law has harse punishments for hate crimes, but people who are racist pass on those traits to their kids. For example, if a child grows up in a racist home and he hears cruel statements against other races, he will start to believe those are true and eventually take those bliefs to be his own. With this cycle rasism will never truly end, because of parents having negative affects on their children.
i believe that alot of the blame can go on the leaders of the country or group. Many third world countries have ways to build their economy and grow, often dont use them or use them but not effectively. it could be the style of government, the willingness of the people, or just the governments inability to support the country and run it effectively. Some countries have few really rich people and the rest are dirt poor. there are ways the government can fix this, but it requires work, and willingness of the people to do so.
Hoffman's right. Some African governments are really corrupt. See the movies "Hotel Rwanda" and "The Last King of Scotland"! Read about the problems there. More deaths, less hope. Why is more not done to help people in Africa, where conditions are probably the worst in the world?
Obviously, conditions in places such as Africa are less than desired. However, I beleive that in order for us, or any country to help, they must first take care of their problems at home. We have problems with citizens on our own soil. We have poverty, unemployment, and crime. We have alcolholism, drug addictions, and violence. I feel sympathy for citizens of Africa and other places of termoil but, is it really our responsibility to fix another country's problems?
Martin Luther King, Jr. made a big difference. He stood up for his rights. Now today, there is still racism, but it is not nearly as bad as it used to be. There are some options to help poverty, one is that there are lots of jobs available. Another is for people to not be so selfish and give a little. But, it's not fair for the people who are working hard to give all of their hard working money to people who are not even trying. In order to get out of poverty, a person has to have determination. I feel extremely bad for the children of poverty because they can't do anything. But I don't feel quite as bad for the older people because in many cases there is a way to get out of poverty, it just takes a lot of work. I know there are cases where they can't get out of poverty, and those are the kind of people we should be helping.
I believe that MLK did make a difference. He made people think. Thought is what moves us forward in this world, makes things work out for the best. From what i have seen, when the government tries to help people who are in poverty they'll just screw it up. All they do is build a big building, hire a few people, and leave it alone. Things like housing need to be addressed in a business-like matter. When private companies are allowed to take over things run smoothly. Why? because they have a reason to try, they have something to lose. The government just throws money around, our money...
Martin luther king did very much make a difference he opened peoples minds to the of the "Black man" and most people at the time havent heard their side of the story and because of what he did it made some people not all but some people check them selves. As for racism it can never be solved for one reason and one reason only its the fact that some people will never be able to get along with other people and because of that you get people who just dont care about the person suffering or u get people who wont help the person suffering just because of personal reason. its a terriable thing but it a fact of life there are always going to be people who where raised on thinking that they are better than some one else. Hunger i think can be solved it just a matter of finding an effective way to get food to countries that arent able to feed them selves and educating them to the point where they can grow their own crops, but you also need to get the leaders who are only looking out for them selves out of the way as well so that the people will be able to do this. and poverty is another problem that i dont think we will be able to solve becuse some people just get a run of bad luck and are not able to get back up on their feet again and the fact that some people will always try to take peoples money in unfair ways its not that people want to be poor it the fact that some people either start off in the street and cant get out or they make a mistake and cant recover for it.
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