This is, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a speech I was supposed to write and recite for my English class in school, and I also wish to share it with you (I know, this is a little unrealistic and it probably won’t happen, but everybody has dreams, right? Remember, this was supposed to be an inspirational speech, not one to actually make people do it. I mean, I’m saying it in front of a bunch of seventh graders, and just for a good grade in school, and I mean no offense to those who somehow take this personally.)
I have a dream that the United States of America will not only call itself a free nation, but will be a free nation. Those who believe we already are, are sadly misinterpreting the actions done by the government. The Declaration of Independence clearly states that the sole purpose of the government is to protect the rights of the people, and that if they are abusive of this ability, it is the right of the people to “… Alter…it, and to institute a new government…” Would you say the government is doing their duty? No! In fact they’re using an incremental approach and are slowly taking away our rights.
We all have the freedom of speech, correct? No! We are told that there are certain limits on the freedom of speech. For example, we are told that we cannot yell “fire” in a crowded theater. But, unfortunately, some Americans accept this because it sounds reasonable. But is it truly freedom?
Recently, the federal government has become absolutely obsessed with monitoring everything U.S. citizens say. It has been revealed that the Department of Homeland Security plans to monitor social media outlets on the Internet, especially popular sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Using the wrong “keywords” or if you are a key influencer on the Internet, there is absolutely no doubt somebody from the federal government will be keeping tabs on you. What you say on the Internet could label you as a “troublemaker” or even as a ” potential terrorist”. As of late, Barack Obama signed a new law which enables the U.S. military to arrest “potential terrorists”, hold them indefinitely, without trial, and even send them off to Guantanamo Bay for endless interrogation sessions. But, what is truly terrifying about this new law is that it is just too easy for the government employees to do what humans do best; make mistakes. If you think it’s impossible for them to make such foolish mistake, think again. A man was just held as a terrorist by the U.S. government in Guantanamo for 7 and a half years! He says he was tortured for not telling them what they wanted to hear. Eventually getting freed, he brought his case to the Supreme Court, where they asked the government to present any evidence that led them to believe he was a terrorist. But the government did not present any.
I have a dream that the government will not be the destroyers, but the protectors, of our rights.
I have a dream that this nation will be truly free from the bonds of the corrupt government that rules us today.
It is imperative that we stand up for our freedoms and liberties. Our founding fathers fought risking their lives for freedom-why don’t we?
My “I Have a Dream” Speech
21 Monday Jan 2013
Posted in General
Jenna, you, and other young people like you, give me hope for the future. You have eloquently stated what is wrong with this government. They have forgotten they work for us, the people of the United States, and not the other way around. You have inspired me! I love you!!! Grandma
Nice job, Jenna. Very Good!!