Sarah LeChard

ENGW 1101

Prof. Young

Persuasion Essay

3 April 2015

Hypocritical America

            Living in such a diverse world makes it hard to please everyone. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived in a time period where everything was segregated. He lived in a place where his and many others’ beliefs were the opposite of what was actually happening. The Vietnam War was underway for over ten years when King finally had to raise his voice for the ones who couldn’t. In his “A Time to Break Silence” speech, he spoke about how the Vietnam War made the U.S. hypocritical and how it was hurting, rather than helping this nation. In 1967, he stood in Riverside Church in New York City and spoke on America’s hypocrisy, opposing the war. King took a stand for the people of America who were suffering from the decisions of the government. Moral convictions, destroyed crops and death are all still relevant to the current war against ISIS just as they were in the Vietnam War when King spoke on them. 

There is a fine line of being able to help someone and being able to hurt someone else. The United States government intervenes in other countries’ problems thinking they can help come to a solution. This does two things. It brings America into war and also goes against the morals and values of this country and damages everyone involved. Not only was this happening in the 1960’s, it still happens in the same way in modern society. The government enters and stays in war year after year yet preaches that violence is not the answer to solving problems, making this nation appear hypocritical years after “A Time to Break Silence” speech was delivered.

            Morals are what drive society to think and carry out the actions we do. When MLK gave this speech, he explains his beliefs about speaking up as a son of God. “…I must be true to my conviction that I share with all men the calling to be a son of the living God” (King).

By saying this, King is sticking to his morals and values which are speaking up as a son of God protecting those who cannot protect themselves. He will continue to preach what he believes because it is helping others. King will not change his mind on what he believes in because it is not the popular belief or belief that has action taken upon it. The war on terrorism, specifically terrorist groups based in Iraq, has grown with no outlook of ending any time soon. War can be seen as helping or hurting everyone around it. Because ISIS is based in Iraq and calling on their allies in the Western hemisphere, the American government is feeling the need to send troops back into Iraq to help fight this war. After promising to withdraw almost 10,000 troops from Iraq, Obama has sent a request to Congress to get involved in war against the terrorist group ISIS. “American forces will not be returning to combat in Iraq, but we will help Iraqis as they take the fight to terrorists who threaten the Iraqi people, the region, and American interests as well” (Mcclam). Sending in this request shows that even over 40 years later, our President is hypocritical and does things against his word. Moral convictions are not being stood by today like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did with his when he delivered the ‘A Time to Break Silence’ speech. These words need to be stuck to so that those who cannot stand up for themselves have higher powers working with them, not against.

            In both instances, America has not fought either war in its own country. During the Vietnam War, troops were sent into Vietnam to fight. Not only were innocent Vietnamese citizens being killed at the expense of this war, but their land that they worked hard to build was being destroyed. King said,

“They watch as we poison their water, as we kill a million acres of their crops” (King).  This land being destroyed did not affect anyone in America, therefore nobody cared that it was being taken away from its rightful owner. Americans continued the war as if there were no negative consequences form it. The government felt they had the right to go in and destroy the land that the Vietnamese had fought so long for to have as theirs. In modern society, Obama continuously sends in troops to Iraq just to ensure he is doing all he can to win the battles. Although he did not start this war, he is now the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. By sending these troops in to fight a current battle against ISIS that is not our problem, he is dispatching more people to destroy the land that innocent Iraqis live on. Their houses, crops, property and possessions are being compromised because Obama feels big enough to invade thinking it will help the United States out. The war against terrorism that Obama is trying to fight does not involve the U.S. Because the U.S. military is in constant war with Iraq, Obama feels the need to keep sending in troops to keep fighting a battle that, this time, is not ours to fight.  “Obama sends Congress a formal request for authorization to fight ISIS with military force” (Mcclam). Putting in this type of request is formally starting a war that the United States has almost no business being in. Now it is a formal war. This war will destroy whatever salvageable ground that Iraq has left. Sending in troops to fight a new war against ISIS, a terrorist group who has not attacked the U.S., shows he has no regards for the damage United States troops will be doing on foreign ground. Martin Luther King would not like to see this kind history repeating itself considering it was what he was trying to prevent from happening again.

            War not only affects those fighting, but also those who surround it. They may not be around the war by choice, but they are there. Living in a country where men with guns and bombs storm wherever they please is almost a death sentence. As Dr. King addresses in this speech, these troops are attacking. They are attacking and causing causalities and deaths. “So far we have killed a million of them – mostly children” (King).

These lives were ended because they were living their normal lives while the Vietnam War was going on around them. These soldiers are killing those around them who have nothing to do with the reason they are fighting in the first place. These people are living in the wrong place at the wrong time. Putting these innocent kids in the middle of a war that has nothing to do with them shows how much concern these people fighting for America has for others. American troops still do this today. They push their way into foreign grounds and kill whoever is necessary to get their assignment done. While trying to help Iraqi citizens get more freedom, the U.S. has killed more innocent people in their own country then the terrorists they should actually be attacking. In Dr. King’s speech, he heavily frowns upon invading other’s territories because it kills innocent people. The fact that so many people, past and present, have lost their lives to war shows that nothing has changed and has a gloomy outlook for the future.

            Living in such a diverse world makes it hard to please everyone. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived in a time period where everything was segregated. He lived in a place where his and many others’ beliefs were the opposite of what was actually happening. The Vietnam War was underway for over ten years when King finally had to raise his voice for the ones who couldn’t. In his “A Time to Break Silence” speech, he spoke about how the Vietnam War made the U.S. hypocritical and how it was hurting, rather than helping this nation. In 1967, he stood in Riverside Church in New York City and spoke on America’s hypocrisy and how he opposed the war. King took a stand for the people of America who were suffering from the decisions of the government. Moral convictions, destroyed crops and death are all still relevant to the current war against ISIS just as they were in the Vietnam War when King spoke on them.  There is a fine line of being able to help someone and being able to hurt someone else. The United States government intervenes in other countries’ problems thinking they can help come to a solution. This not only brings American into war but also goes against the morals and values of this country and damages everyone involved.  The government enters and stays in war year after year yet preaches that violence is not the answer to solving problems, making this nation appear hypocritical years after “A Time to Break Silence” speech was delivered.

This is a diverse world. Having many different types of people around each other with different views, there is not a happy medium. Everyone will always have differing views. Dr. King lived in a world where everything was segregated. People’s beliefs were not being honored and the government was making any moves they wanted to. They had no regard for the moral conviction, destruction of other people’s land and homes and absolutely no regard for innocent people’s deaths. Modern day warfare proves that this is still the case. It was like Dr, King never even raised his voice about this situation. MLK’s speech is still relevant in today’s society because people’s ways haven’t changed and they will continue to do what they have done in the past. The government will do what it can with their power. There is no difference between why, how and where war was fought during the Vietnam War and now the war against ISIS.

Works Cited

King, Martin Luther, Dr. “A Time to Break Silence: By Rev. Martin Luther King.” A Time to Break Silence: By Rev. Martin Luther King. Web. 02 March 2015.

Mcclam, Erin. "ISIS Threat: Obama's Remarks Over the Past Year Show Evolution." NBC News. Web. 02 Mar. 2015.