What interested me about Martin Luther Kingās speech, āI Had A Dreamā was his wise use of religious allusion. The people he was specifically addressing were those from the south where many highly esteemed the bible. He would use āreligious languageā to capture their hearts. What was especially noteworthy was the content in which he chose. For example considering how big the bible is he could have simply used any text, however he chose the right words. Case in point, he made the profound statement that āall men are created equalā (406) and also uses the expression āchildren of Godā (407). This required a lot of forethought and preparation on the part of Mr. King before delivering his captivating speech. He invested much of his time & whole heart into it, thus underscoring how strongly he felt about the issue of racism. These chosen texts were not only powerful in themselves but also appropriate to the theme of his message on racial equality. History shows that some have viciously killed in the name of religion and the bible, thus coercing people to make changes as seen during the time of “The Crusades”. Dr. King on the other hand would utilize religious allusion in a peaceful manner. His objective was not to force his listeners to make changes but to reach their hearts so as to allow the individual to make the necessary changes based on what they heard and/or read. Granted his approach was direct and bold but never did he have to use psychical force to get the message across. Those guilty of racism wouldnāt be literally beaten, but figuratively beaten, in other words guided by their own consciences. His approach helped me see the power of making decisions for myself & helping others come to the right conclusions.
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