The Power of Words

There's an old saying, more of an old cliché, that the pen is mightier than the sword. Argue all you like about the overuse of this phrase; it's a cliché for a reason. Words have an incredible amount of power when wielded by a great orator; they can spark the beginning of a great political movement, or the downfall of a corrupt ruling class. However, it is not enough to simply tell people to fight against injustice or to challenge corruption. Words must be carefully chosen so that they can stir people to excitement or create a strong argument to prove why change is needed.

One of the strongest historical moments that shows the power of words is Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have A Dream" speech. It's a testament to the strength and power of this speech that almost everyone in the country can recite at least one line from it. Dr. King used his speech to encourage African American's to persevere against the injustices they were facing on a regular basis and to look forward to the days of peace and harmony that he knew were on the horizon.

The content of the speech was appropriate because it encouraged nonviolent protest. Dr. King’s followers were facing extreme violent prejudices and it seemed as though the only logical response to that was with more violence. He told the crowd gathered in Washington that day of his dream, a dream he prophetically said he may not get to see, of a day when people would be living in harmony regardless of race, gender, or creed. It was a powerful moment and it helped a nation to believe that the dream could come true but only through harmony and understanding.

I think the only time it would be both appropriate and respectful to use Dr. King’s speech to someone else’s effect in a situation where they are trying to bring people together or to extinguish prejudices among a group of people.