VTTW Board Index

for MLK day. I thought some of you may want to read it.

cut and paste for those who can't access it

“Equality”     
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Mrs. Johnson’s 5th grade
 
     Freedom. We all hear this word every day. We hear it at school, at speeches, on television, on politicians lips when they run for office. We hold parades celebrating it. What does the word really mean though? Freedom means many things to many people, such as personal freedom, exemption from regulations, political independence, the right to vote, liberty, etc. So obviously, freedom is an important idea, but why is it important? Freedom is important because without it you would be controlled and would not have free will over your own body and mind. Without freedom, we’re like caged animals, we lose our humanity.
     The importance of everyone being treated fairly is related to the idea of freedom. It’s called equality. Martin Luther King said that his dream was that “someday we’d be judged by the content of our character, not the color of our skin.” If someone is judged by the color of their skin, or the way they look, their religious beliefs, this is not equality, and it is not fair. Today, in the eyes of the law in America, we are all equal. This was not the way it was just fifty years ago before the 1964 civil rights act.  The U.S constitution was written to give us the personal freedoms and rights we have today. We in this country are very fortunate.
     In China, for example, people are not so lucky. They don’t have the freedoms we do in the US and they don’t all get treated fairly as we do. The government of China has total control of everything, and the people do not have many rights. Laws are passed without approval of the people. Everyone does not get the same treatment.
      In Saudi Arabia, women are not treated fairly. They have to wear veils and can’t show their face in public. This is a case of discrimination, something we can’t do in the US, but not long ago women could not vote in the US. In the US, not long ago, black people, Native Americans, and women did not all have the same rights as white men did. Many people took actions to fix this problem, and lives have been lost so that we all have the rights as we do today. Some key people who helped do this are Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, John F Kennedy, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Stanton. There were many others who were key figures in helping gain rights for all in the US. Unfortunately, there are still countries in the world that do not treat everyone equally.
     In India, people did not have the same rights as the British when they were a colony. Mahatma Gandhi led a revolution for equal rights by preaching nonviolent methods of non-cooperation. Martin Luther King Jr. credits a lot of his inspiration to Mahatma Gandhi. Nelson Mandela, who championed equality in South Africa, has also credited Gandhi as his inspiration.
     Why is it important to treat people fairly and for freedom and equality to exist? Because when this does not happen, revolutions begin, wars start, and there is no peace.  Loss of life occurs, and it will always happen because every human being wants to be treated fairly, and have personal freedoms. In Iraq, many soldiers from America have recently given their lives so that Iraqi people can be free from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. Americans have also freed Afganisthan from the Taliban as well, giving their people rights.
     For me, as an eleven year old girl, being treated fairly is important. I want to have the same opportunities as everyone else does, and why should I not because I am a girl? It is not right, and that’s what it comes down to. Right versus wrong. I feel I am just as smart and capable as anyone else, boy, girl, black, brown, white, etc. This goes for anyone else as well. If I didn’t have the same rights I would join a revolutionary group and fight for my rights. In many countries kids are not viewed as people that need to be treated fairly, and treated as if they don’t have any rights. They are forced to do things whether they like it or not by adults around them. Things like child marriage, forced arranged marriage, and sweatshops where children are forced to work in poor conditions still exist today in many countries. These kids do not have the opportunity to go to school even. There are even cases where children have been killed because they are girls, and do not get the chance to grow up and have a life.
     In conclusion, the importance of everyone being treated fairly is about right versus wrong. Through history we learn that if you take away people’s rights, there are consequences, and it cannot last forever. People want to free and have personal freedoms, they want to enjoy equal rights with their fellow human beings. I think there is still a lot of work to be done, but we are hopefully learning from past mistakes and headed in the right direction. It needs to happen quickly, because as Martin Luther King said, “A right delayed is a right denied.”

Very nice! Excellent writing skills.

What a poignant essay by someone so young.  It's no wonder she won.  Congratulations!

Good job! :thumbup:

Good Job!  I know you are so proud!

That is excellent work...She had me at "Freedom"...I know how proud you must be...:O)   :clap: :wow: :hi5:

Way to go young lady and mom and dad!!!!!!

Outstanding.

But look out!  She might join a revolutionary group if you don't let her go to that slumber party next week.   :dance:

If I didn’t have the same rights I would join a revolutionary group and fight for my rights.

she might do that....she's pretty fierce  :laugh:   :cool: :confused:

Congrats to you all on her accomplishment!   :thumbup: 

Hear hear!