Perseverance by Martin Luther King - Assignment Example

PERSEVERANCE The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running Unknown Life will always be a race wherein everyone is a runner. From the start of the competition to the very end, success is measured by how much one endured to get to the finish line. Medals are not handled over easily to the winners. It is for those who have labored and exhausted much effort during the long mile run. It is not the falls that count but the number of times a person stood up and continued the journey towards the attainment of his/her goals. The determination and willingness to strive harder characterize a man who does what he wants from a man who sits in the crowd and watch opportunities pass his way. Many people have shown the attitude to persevere despite of the difficulties. As a result, they have helped and inspired many to do the same. In this paper, perseverance is defined in three distinct ways: the capability to endure hardships, hard work and committed to the task. Likewise, it will present three famous persons who have shown these characteristics and placed them in the pedestal of success making them good examples to young people. Perseverance is a virtue that entails the ability to endure many adversaries towards the attainment of a goal. This is something Helen Keller showed in her own life journey. We all know that Helen Keller wrote many poems and stories that are widely read by people young and old alike. The inspiring thing about her is that she is blind and deaf. Helen was born on June 27 1880 with the sense of sight and hearing. However, an unknown illness struck her when she was about a year and a half years old. Everyone in her family thought she was going to die. And then unexpectedly, after a few days, she got well. However, her mother noticed that Helen no longer responded to sound (like the ring of the bell) or sight stimuli. They then concluded that the illness has left her a mark which she suffered for the rest of her life. Towards her childhood years, Helen has been very hard to manage particularly when she throws tantrums and screams towards other members of the family. Upon the recommendation of the family's friend Alexander Graham Bell, Helen's family finally decided to look for a teacher at the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind. Although difficult at first, Helen struggled to learn how to spell words using hand signals. With the efforts of her teacher Ann Sullivan, she continued to improve and master her skills despite of her condition. The highlight of her education happened when Anne brought her to the lake and spelled "water" in Helen's hand and the later immediately understood. From that moment, Helen's improvement was astounding as she could spell thirty new words that day including Anne's name. After this incident, Helen became famous because of an article that was written about her achievement. Eventually, she was also given a teacher to train her how to speak. Helen tried all her efforts to learn how to speak but was unsuccessful because her vocal chords were not fully developed. Still, this didn't stop her from pursuing her dreams. On 1891, she wrote the Frost King as a birthday gift for her friend Michael Agnos. Helen was also recognized as the first deafblind person to enter and finish a Bachelor of Arts degree in a higher learning institution. However, it was not easy for her as tons of school work further led to the deterioration of her eyesight. Helen soon travelled around the world giving lectures about her experiences. She has been an ambassador of faith and determination to many people. Perseverance also shows the spirit of service and commitment to people. Franklin D. Roosevelt is one of the famous American presidents because of the policies and political changes he started. His leadership started just in time when the unemployment rate is high and the economy was in slump. He proposed a program to bring relief to those who are unemployed, recover losses in business and enacted some reforms for the citizenry. Despite of all these developments, many businessmen and bankers doubted these programs. As a result, he implemented alternatives such as heavier taxes on the wealthy, new managements over banks and utilities, and improved relief programs for the unemployed. Majority of the people have so much confidence in his abilities which was why he was elected for four consecutive terms. On his second term, he widened the authority of the Supreme Court and moved to amend Constitutional changes. The result strengthened the Government's power to control the economy. Unfortunately, in 1921, he suffered from poliomyelitis which made him totally paralyzed. True to his word, Roosevelt never gave up into serving the people. He continued to help other people even if he was in a wheelchair. In 1928, he returned to politics and eventually won the governor slate in New York. This was his ticket towards his next presidency in 1932 were he introduced further reforms in the banking system. Roosevelt terms were characterized as times when extreme political changes have been made. Nevertheless, the common goal is to deliver outmost care and support for the people and the entire nation as well. Perseverance is also synonymous to hard work. Martin Luther King Jr. showed hard work during his leadership which is passionate to make social changes. He was one of the campaigners of non-violent acts towards the transformation of society. King went through several trainings, read books and watched speeches before he finally mastered the craft of civil transformation. He became a pastor of a Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. King's role was pivotal in the abolishment of the bus segregation policy following the arrests of Rosa Park who refused to give her sit for a white man. Violent protests arose and 17,000 Black men refused to ride the bus until the racial discrimination is no longer implemented. Martin Luther King was one of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference founders in 1957 which committed itself to resolving conflicts using nonviolent means. King spent enormous time travelling around the country, delivering speeches to encourage people become involved in civil rights movement. Likewise, he supported the power of ballots emphasizing the right of African Americans in politics. Martin Luther King's words echoed in many states. White Americans resisted his moves including his Civil Rights Act. King did not give up. In his attempt to convince Congress, King led the famous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Over 250,000 people joined the crusade which contributed to its great success. In 1964, civil rights act enforces racial discrimination in public places illegal. Aside from that, it provided provisions to employers to give the same chances of employment for everyone. King did not stop pursuing his goals for the people. This is why he is still the symbol for unity and freedom for the Blacks - an effort which until upon his assassination was his ultimate dream to achieve. REFERENCES: 1. (2007). Franklin D. Roosevelt. Retrieved online on July 31, 2008 http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/fr32.html 2. (2008) The Life of Helen Keller. Royale National Institute for Blind People. Retrieved on July 31, 2008. http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_keller.hcsp 3. Carson, C. (ed.) (2008) Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968). Retrieved online on July 31, 2008. http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/about_king/biography/ 4. (2007). Famous Quotes. Retrieved online on July 31,2008. http://www.quotegarden.com/perseverance.html Read More