Martin Luther Kings Religous Beliefs Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther Kings Religous Beliefs Essay Martin Luther King lived from 1929 to1968 in America, there was much discrimination against black people. Even though slavery had been abolished in 1869, most black people still lived in poverty. Black people earned half the amount white people earned and many could not vote. Martin Luther King was Black American Christian who believed that god made everyone equal. Because of his Christian beliefs he worked towards equal rights through non-violent protests; his beliefs being that there was never an excuse for violence as that doesn`t express the love of god just hatred. King followed in his father and grandfathers footsteps by becoming a pastor in 1954 in a Baptist church in Montgomery. Following Rosas Parks protest through refusing to move from her seat on the bus to give it to a white person, he became involved in the civil rights movement. Mixing the Christian idea of perfect love (Agape) with St. Thomas Aquinas` philosophy that an unjust law in the eyes of God is immoral, and therefore, not a law. King said in his letter from Birmingham Jail that, â€Å"an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law. † Furthermore his campaign of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience began to take shape. After Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to move from her seat to allow a white person to sit down, King decided it was time to start acting and after calling a meeting, where it was decided for all black people to stop using the buses. This was called a bus boycott. After 381 days with buses being virtually empty (costing the company lots of money), the government passed a law to state that it was illegal to segregate black people from white people on the buses. This was a victory for King and his beliefs in non-violent direct action. King believed that the Good Samaritan parable was a prime example of how we should treat each other equally. In the parable a Jew is beaten, mugged and left for dead. A priest, a Levite both cross to the other side of the road when the see him. However when a Samaritan sees him he helps him and pays for accommodation and care for him despite Jews and Samaritans despising each other. This parable showed you should love each other as neighbours despite religion or race. King demonstrated how you should stick up for your dreams, follow your beliefs and how violence isn`t needed to achieve your goal. His work made life in America better for everybody, his message to black and white people caused them to think and change the way things were being done.

Comparing Beloved and Night Essay -- comparison compare contrast essay

Comparing Beloved and Night  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The two novels I am writing about are "Night" by Elie Wiesel and "Beloved," by Toni Morrison.   Beloved tells about slavery and an ex-slave mother's struggle with a past which is projected as the haunting of her people.   It tells the story of Sethe, a mother compelled to kill her child, rather than let the child live a life of slavery.   Toni Morrison uses ghosts and the supernatural to create an enhanced acceptance of the human condition and the struggled survival of the Black American.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The novel is set in Ohio in the 1880's.   The Civil War had been won, slavery had been abolished, however, the memories of slavery still remain.   Although the story itself is fictional, the novel is based on   real events.  Ã‚   The events are based on the trial in Cincinnati of Margaret Garner, who with her husband, and seventeen other slaves (Kentuckian) crossed the Ohio where they supposedly found safe shelter.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When it was discovered that they had been pursued and surrounded, and her husband overpowered, Margaret knew that any hope of freedom was   in vain.   She refused to see her children taken back into slavery.   Without delay, Margaret quickly took hold of a butcher's knife which was laid on a table and cut the throat of her young daughter.   She then attempted to kill her other children as well, then herself, but she was overpowered and held back before she could follow through.   She was arrested and put on trial on the grounds that the child she killed was the legal property of the owner.  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Beloved, when a new proprietor takes over Sweet Home (the slave farm), Sethe, escapes the brutal beatings she now endures in an attempt to go from Kentucky to Ohio.   When the pr... ...took   part in the holocaust had no other choice.   They had families to take care of and home lives just like the rest of   us.   For example, I believe that many of the soldiers who took part in the Holocaust were forced through military responsibility or face   treason or death.   These soldiers have   to live with themselves knowing they killed millions of innocent people.   When an order is given, an order must be carried out.   Many soldiers had no choice, but to kill, or be killed.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We are all human beings.   We all have feelings, and families whom we love.   Sometimes the force behind the brutality is too powerful to disobey, and people (soldiers, the white man, the Americans and Hiroshima, etc., etc.) have no choice but to obey,   or face the consequences.   In the military you don't question an order; you just do it (as in Othello and Billy Budd).        

The Count of Monte Cristo and King Lear

It is man’s path to struggle with his destiny and writers have long written about such a battle in a man’s inner soul. In the works of Alexandre Dumas and William Shakespeare such a battle is best described in their comparable works, â€Å"The Count of Monte Cristo† and â€Å"King Lear†. It is the purpose of this paper to present either novel, and the main male protagonists in the stories and pit them against each other as well as have them share in their twined destiny of faults, failures and eventual redemption.Dumas weaves a story about a man, Edmond Dantes whose life becomes entangled in another man’s vengeance and is subsequently doomed to life imprisonment. These actions are out of the protagonist’s control as he is neither aware of the person for whom the letter is intended that he is carrying to Paris (it is actually supposed to be given to Bonapartist father) nor of the rival against him, Danglars. It would thus appear as though Dant es is allowing his destiny to be overtaken from his free will.In Shakespeare’s â€Å"King Lear† Lear also allows to be a rather flotsam figure on his own path, being lead this way and that, not from a guidance of reason but by happenstance, bad luck, and fate. Blindness is recognized in the play by Lear’s grotesque nature and how he cannot stand to see the world, or kingdom he created. In King Lear’s distrust of his daughters he one by one makes himself disowned by them I prithee, daughter, do not make me mad. I will not trouble thee, my child; farewell.We'll no more meet, no more see one another. But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter; Or rather a disease that's in my flesh, Which I must needs call mine. Thou art a boil, A plague sore, an embossed carbuncle In my corrupted blood. But I'll not chide thee. Let shame come when it will, I do not call it. I do not bid the Thunder-bearer shoot Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove. Mend when th ou canst; be better at thy leisure; I can be patient, I can stay with Regan, I and my hundred knights.† (Shakespeare II. iv. 1514). Blindness is a factor in either author’s tale. For Dumas, he allows his character to remain faithful to himself but also he makes him blind to the events and circumstances surrounding him. Dantes is sent to prison, but it is in prison where he finds Abbe Faria, who teaches his about philosophy, languages, music, history, and it is in this knowledge that Dumas allows the hero to gain self confidence that he would not have otherwise come to had he not been imprisoned.It seems that either author depends a great deal upon unusual circumstances and luck (either perceived as good or bad luck) to progress the plot forward for the characters. Both characters have to face where their loyalties lie, or where the people’s loyalties lie who surround them. In â€Å"King Lear† the focus of the married daughters who are proven to be evil and usurpers of their fathers power while the younger daughter, the innocent unmarried one proves to be the only supporter King Lear has although he blindingly distrusts her from act one.The theme of â€Å"King Lear† is suitably that of loyalty from the female caste whether in faithfulness or disloyalty. With the theme of loyalty there must also be a theme of vengeance as these two factors often walk hand in hand. It is proper for Dantes to want to seek vengeance on an unjust act done to him out of jealousy from Danglars. Although it takes Dantes nine years for his plan to put into action, it takes Lear merely three acts for his vengeance to take shape on Cordelia’s life and Lear’s blindness. For, what is the purpose of having a protagonist who does not learn anything?Lear learns of his mistakes with distrusting his daughter Cordelia and by trusting his other daughters- therefore, because he was blind to this distrust in a metaphorical sense he must be made blind p hysically in order to find redemption for his actions. Dumas takes a different approach in his protagonist’s story. Dumas gives Dantes an education as well as a treasure but the idea of vengeance swallows any joy he may have gleaned from his newly found position in life as the Count of Monte Cristo. It is with a heavy heart (after finding out about his father’s death) that Dantes goes to Marseilles and then on to other European cities.Despite this occupying thought of revenge, Dantes does manage to try and save Caderousse, but is unable to help the man because Caderousse's greed is his downfall. Although he is given two chances of redemption from Dantes he falls into a life of crime and is killed. Both authors need to have progression, change or punishment in their works in order for the reader to find the humanity in the protagonists, for, without their humanity Dantes’ revenge would be a fool’s errand and Lear would not have blinded himself after seeing the error of his ways.The parallels of greed in political power (another form of the grotesque in Shakespeare’s play) are presented in how Goneril and Regan seek political power by their ability to strip the King of all his train of followers, by rejecting the King’s title, and turning him out into the storm, â€Å"†¦entreat him by no means to stay† (III. 1. 297). Also, Edmund has high political aspirations by allowing Gloucester to be blinded for his own political gain, â€Å"Hang him instantly [Regan]†¦Pluck out his eyes [Goneril]† (III. 7. 4-5), and he usurps Edgar’s legitimate title as the future Earl of Gloucester.Furthermore, Kent and Edgar both lose their nobility, the Earl of Kent is banished for his honest defense of Cordelia, and Edgar loses his claim to nobility through the deceit and trickery of Edmund. Political greed was also seen with Caderousse as well as Dantes’ other enemies who have grown wealthy and more corrup t since he has been in prison. Both author’s hinge their characters on the edge of redemption and give them each a scenario in which they can either grasp this ultimate gift and be free of blame or hate, or they can become criminals of love and honor.The authors are the same in this account, they allow their protagonists to find their redemption: For Lear, it is blindness, for Dantes it is shown in the mercy he gives to his enemy Danglars. In their redemption either man finds love again: Cordelia’s for her father Lear and Haydee for Dantes. Bibliography Dumas, Alexandre. â€Å"The Count of Monte Cristo†. Penguin Classic. 1992. Shakespeare, William. â€Å"King Lear†. Penguin Classic. 1998.

George W - 1136 Words

George W. Bush September 20, 2011 Address to Congress On September 11, 2001 the American nation was shaken with news of a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center towers in New York City. Fear and panic commandeered the spirits of American citizens as they awaited to hear if their loved one had perished, if another attack had been planned for somewhere else in the United States, and how their nation would rise from the ashes to face another tomorrow. Not only had their nation been attacked, but also the true measure of their freedom had been questioned. In times like these, the American people put their faith in their president. They rely on his leadership to instruct them on what to do next. This essay explores the context surrounding†¦show more content†¦As seen in the previous paragraph, his approval ratings following the 9/11 attacks skyrocketed which led to a conservative shift after September 11 (Huddy, Leonie, and Standly Feldman). People continued to put their supp ort in Bush and therefore were eagerly awaiting any information or inspiration he might have to give. His opponents were the terrorists and the 10% of Americans that did not approve of him. He referenced the terrorists briefly in his 9/11 address, however demands for the release of U.S captives and for the terrorists to turn in their leaders and themselves were explicitly stated in the September 20 address (Bush, George W.). Bush also had to try and get the support of the mere 10% of Americans who did not approve of him at this time (Presidential Approval Ratings--George W. Bush). It is difficult to sway an opinion when the person(s) are already against him. Bush had to address the fear the American people still had of a potential third attack. Over two-thirds of New York citizens feared that another attack could happen at any moment (Kleinfeld, and Connolly Marjorie). George W. Bush went into the address hopeful that the American people would be ready to launch a war on terrorism a nd to fight with such tenacity as to eradicate terrorism. Going into the September 20, 2001 Address to Congress, President Bush had the perfect equation to have a vastly successful speech. The country and most of Congress supported him and was prepared to listen and agreeShow MoreRelatedGeorge W Bush961 Words   |  4 Pagescharismatic president George W. Bush served his time as the president of the U.S. from 2001-2009. George grew up as the eldest of 6 kids (two sisters, 3 brothers) unfortunately one of his sisters died of leukemia when she was a child. George always was enthusiastic, he was quiet the athlete! He was in football, baseball, rugby, basketball was the head cheerleader! George started presidency fairly young, he was voted class president in 7th grade. Once finished high school George chose to take afterRead MorePresident George W. Bush898 Words   |  4 Pagespresidents that made the country worse and our economy decline is George W. Bush. He was the United States president from 2001 to 2009. George W. Bush was one of the worst United States presidents for many reasons, but the top three on my long list are first and foremost his decision to start the war on Iraq, second his support of the Military Commissions Act, and last but not least his handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. President George W. bush made the decision to go to war with Iraq just monthsRead MoreThe George W. Bush Administration Essay1505 Words   |  7 PagesThe George W. Bush administration was riddled with many tragic events, from natural disasters to terrorist attacks, and economic hardships that made lasting impressions of the American peoples’ perceptions of our government and the world outside of the United States’ boundaries. The six people who conducted this research, George Shambaugh, Richard Matthew, Roxane C. Silver, Bryan McDonald, Michael Poulin, and Scott Blum, set out to discover how the before mentioned events effected the group unitRead MoreLife Of George W. Bush1397 Words   |  6 PagesLife of George W. Bush George W. Bush was born in July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut; George W. Bush was the 43rd president of the United States. He won the Electoral College vote in 2000, in one of the closest and most controversial elections in American history. Bush also led the United States response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and initiated the Iraq War. Before his presidency, Bush was a businessman and served as governor of Texas. George Walker Bush was born on July 6, 1946, inRead MoreEssay on George W. Bush935 Words   |  4 PagesGeorge W. Bush George Walker Bush is the son of the 41st President George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush. Born on July 6, 1946, Bush was raised in Houston, Texas and was the oldest of four children. Bush finished his high school years at Phillips Academy, which was an all-male boarding school in Andover, Massachusetts, where he was the head cheerleader during his senior year. Bush went to college at Yale University from 1964 till his graduation in 1968 where he finished with a Bachelor’s degree inRead MoreGeorge W. Bush Administration1195 Words   |  5 PagesThe George W. Bush administration is remarkably renowned for passing a major tax-cuts package, known as the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, (Bartels, 2005, p. 19). The package postulated a reduction in the federal income tax rates, increment in the child credits, augmented tax-free retirement contributions and the educational savings account, as well as a gradual elimination of the US estate tax. The entire ta x package was to cost the US Treasury over $1.3 trillion (excludingRead MorePresident George W. Bush1433 Words   |  6 Pagesthe day that our nation fell apart emotionally, but also the day that our nation came together as one. Putting aside all differences politically and socially, September 11 is the day our nation mourned as one. On the same day, our former president George W. Bush formulated one of his most memorable speeches. He not only took this moment to address the severity and despondency of the occasion, but he also took this opportune time to guide our nation on how to recuperate from one of the bloodiest andRead MoreA Day in the Mind of George W. Bush 884 Words   |  4 Pagesbasis that invading another country is destructive of human life, costs substantial amounts of money, undermines our moral authority, could ruin our international reputation, and violates the sovereignty of Iraq. We the United States and me myself, George W. Bush, lead this so called â€Å"Free World† and have the duty to intervene and the right to protect the American peoples interest for global issues. The necessity of this resolution is supported by extremely credible evidence as to the risks of notRead MoreAnalysis Of George W. Bush953 Words   |  4 Pages On the evening of September 11, 2001, George W. Bush managed to change the country forever with a simple three letter word. President Bush gained numerous advantages following his renown speech. Many Americans lost their lives on 911 due to terrorism being used as a form of communication. Language is the cornerstone of all known societies and is essential for a country to thrive. Without language there is no understanding. Without understanding conflicts are inevitable. The Bush administrationRead MorePresident George W. Bush1262 Words   |  6 PagesBefore this traumatic event, one could not even imagine someone doing such a thing. When this event occurred everyone had been unaware and continuing their daily activities only to be stopped by this life changing news. The president at the time was George W. Bush. Doing day to day activities like the rest of us, he was reading to a second grade class that bright Tuesday morning. Upon hearing about the news, he was utterly shocked along with the rest of America. At approximately 8:40 p.m., which is around