I Have a Dream

                The speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. could not have been delivered at a better place than Lincoln’s Memorial.  He inspired change by simply stating the facts of what was defined as freedom in our country and where we actually were at the time.  There was some symbolism used by Mr. King to get his point across.  The subject of his speech directly connects to the location he chose.  It displays two men from different times fighting for the same cause.  Any other location would not have given the same effect.  By choosing Lincoln’s Memorial as the location and including powerful symbolism in his speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. was able to forever change the way people thought about civil rights.

                He begins his speech by talking about the Emancipation Proclamation, and the fact that it was passed one hundred years ago.  Mr. King states the facts about where the Negro man is today, and he is still not where he should be.  He is still suppressed, repressed, discriminated against, and not given equal rights.  You can see all of the frustration and will for things to get better among the audience and Mr. King.  Everyone collectively is expressing a desire for change, for equality, for true freedom.

                Mr. King used very clever and humorous symbolism to get his point across.  He begins by using the bad check example.  The bad check is the empty promise and lie about the freedom the Negroes are supposed to have in this country.  When they try to use their freedom and equal rights, which is the check, the check bounces.  The check ends up being no good because it does not give them its stated value.  He goes on to include the claim of justice in this country and using the justice bank as symbolism for it.  We all know the justice bank is good for the check, and is more than able to cash it, but for whatever reason they don’t.

                The location connects to the speech by being at Lincoln’s memorial, Lincoln whom passed the Emancipation Proclamation.  Lincoln and Mr. King were soldiers on the same battlefield fighting for freedom for the American people, even though they were in different times.

                It would have been impossible for Mr. King to have chosen a better location for his speech.  The fact that Lincoln fought for African Americans and went as far as to pass the Emancipation Proclamation puts Mr. King and Lincoln on the same team just in different times.  For Mr. King’s speech to have maximum effect and impact on the American people and the world, he had no other choice than to hold it there.  Because there he was able to say to the government that they are lying to the American people about the freedom we are all supposed to have.  Any other location would not have had the same effect, influence and power as Lincoln’s Memorial had.

                Mr. King did not really do anything that was out of the ordinary, we didn’t expose any secrecy of any kind.  Everyone already was faced with the truth of the lack of equality in our country.  What Mr. King did do is bring it to everyone’s attention to it and call for an end to inequality and discrimination in our country. He did so by choosing the most powerful location to get his message across, which was Lincoln Memorial.  Any other location would not have had the same effect because the fact is that no other man in history made as much of a contribution equality in our country as did Lincoln, making Lincoln and King soldiers on the same battlefield fighting for our basic right of equality.

               

This is how you pronounce . . .

            Both of my parents came from different countries other than the United States.  My father came from Bogota, Colombia at the age of 22.  He had taken some English classes at his high school before coming to New York, but for the most part he didn’t have very much practice speaking English. 

            After speaking to my father about his thoughts on his language choices and view on the importance of language, I was able to get a better understanding on what it must have been like for him.  My father knew that he needed to learn English right away in order to build his life in the United States.  He first lived in New York and there were a lot of Spanish speakers there but he would eventually need to learn English. 

            He chose to enroll himself in some college classes to build on the English he learned in Colombia.  This was a very difficult process for him because of the pronunciations and the many variations of the language. 

            He has shown an interest in learning languages from other countries and encouraged my brother and me to do the same.  He feels that it will give us an advantage in the business world, and we agree.  He was too busy to actually learn the other languages and focused on mastering his English to the best of his ability.  He feels language is very important because it is a required component communication.  And being able to speak clearly and confidently is necessary in our country.

            My father’s English became better and better the more he studied, worked, and interacted with everyone in our country.  He still has an accent and has difficulty pronouncing some words and completing some emails at his job.  He is now a senior telecommunications technician in San Luis Obispo, California.

            My mother was born in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico and came to New York, New York around the age of 16.  She came with all of her sisters and brother, unlike my father who came with his sister.  My mother also studied English in high school in her country but she came at an earlier age and was able to learn additional English in our high schools here.  My mother enjoys reading and writing; she has always been good at writing and helps my father with some of his emails for work.  She helped my brother and me with our homework when we were children.

            My mother made a commitment early in life to learn the English language because she knew it would lead to good things for her and her family.  She values language, along with speaking and writing in an educated manner.  My mother has shown interest in learning French and was able to take a trip to France with her sister. 

            Once she began living in New York, she was exposed to so much so fast that her English progressed quickly and did very well in school and college.  She was able to use her bilingual skills in the banking industry for a few years.  Once she started a family she left that career and stayed home to raise her family.

Critical Thinking, Analyzing, round and round we go

            To me, critical thinking means trying to find the meaning behind information.  It means taking a good long look at it, analyzing the details and clues to anything from an event, to a speech or research paper.  For example, when your significant other says don’t worry about, you should worry about it.  That means you are in hot water.  This is a situation where you would need to use critical thinking to get yourself out of hot water, as quickly and as safely as possible.  You need to use critical thinking to analyze the events in the day, and the actions that took place that got you to the point where you are at right now.  You will need to analyze your significant other’s body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions to get the true meaning behind what he or she is truly feeling and trying to communicate to you.

            I have worked for a commercial bank for the past 8 years, in that time I have used critical thinking every single day and developed personal habits doing so.  I am constantly in contact with the public and in am in a position where I am responsible for protecting the bank from fraud done intentionally or not by our customers.  Each situation that presents itself in regards to fraudulent activity requires critical thinking.  It requires looking at the situation from a different perspective, one which does not give the customer the benefit of the doubt.  Once the fraudulent situation presents itself, everything there on out must be looked at, and listened to critically.  Paying attention to the customer’s answers to your questions including, what they say, how they say it, if they change their story, and if their story makes sense. 

            I have recently begun using my critical thinking habits developed at work in other areas of my life to help me make the best decision for myself.  Examples of the other areas of my life are everything from choosing my major, applying for a position, planning my diet, and the right choosing friends.

             I analyze politics sometimes but not a whole lot because that can be exhausting.  There are so many variables that I feel I would need to become a politician to able to analyze politics effectively.

            I do analyze the media when I am watching TV or reading the newspaper.  I try not to watch certain news programs because I feel they are biased and are not providing me with accurate information.  I dislike being misled into having the wrong opinion about a topic because I was given subliminal messages.  I feel that it is unfair and an invasion of my intellect.  This is why I only like to watch the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, and the National Geographic channel.  They are not perfect, but much better than the rest of TV.

            I probably can over analyze my professional endeavors and future career goals.  I have done this for many years, trying to plan for evey possible outcome and find a fool proof career, which does not exist. 

            I hope to build the critical thinking skills necessary to help me in all areas of my life, mainly my career.  I don’t know how I will view the world differently by the end of our semester, but I am sure I will view it differently.