This speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr is a very powerful one which calls the people of Memphis to act against violence and racism and to use non-violent methods of equality. However, as in much of King’s speeches, there is an aspect of his speech-writing that is quite interesting. This “speech” isn’t truly a speech at all. It is a conversation. A dialogue between him and his “listeners.” For example, he starts off with a personal joke and talks to the audience as a friend, which honestly is a common speech practice. But he doesn’t stop there. He goes on to talk to the crowd as a group of individuals as if he knows them all personally. He says that he’s “delighted to see each of you here” and that “you are determined.” He continues with these informalities by talking about what he would do in certain situations, his own opinions, and informal transitions between his thoughts. This method, in my opinion, is nothing short of brilliant. Here is a famous man, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, and he is talking to these individuals like a commoner. He is bringing himself to their levels and acting as their close personal friends, and in doing so, he gains their support and faith. This tactic, which King uses quite often, shows the difference one has to make when writing a speech as opposed to writing an essay, and few do that better than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Author Archives: t.hartman
Space
An important issue that needs to be addressed at Baruch is the lack of on-campus greenery. Not only does greenery provide an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere, it has also been proven to significantly improve mental health. It has been known to decrease stress levels and provide long term health benefits. We acknowledge that Baruch has limited campus space, but we can look to CCNY, a fellow CUNY school, for a model of incorporating greenery. Another school which is located in the city, NYU, has also emphasized bringing a more nature-oriented atmosphere.
Due to this lack of on-campus space, Baruch can consider alternatives such as adding small patches of grass and planting trees. In addition, we can bring some of the outdoors inside with the implementation of “green rooms.” If none of these options are spatially plausible, then partnering with nearby parks is something worth looking into. This could possibly result in having access to fresh air during times of high-stress, such as finals week.
Self-Reliance
What defines a man? What is it that we call “strength” or “superiority” or “advancement”?
In today’s culture it would surely be the one who is most successful in an area of work which has plenty of people competing against one other. The one who emerges victorious from this crowd is “successful”. And we say that “advancement” is the technological prowess we have which benefits society as a whole. The way we band together and collectively “move forward” as a species.
However, Ralph Waldo Emerson seems to disagree with these definitions. He postulates that being a conformist in a single group is the opposite of being a man! You must “absolve you to yourself” and preserve the “integrity of your mind” in order to be a true man, even if the world will not be pleased with you.
Now, while Emerson carries on this vein for a long while, I am most drawn to the end of his essay where he gives 4 examples towards a need for greater self-reliance. Firstly how prayer is simply calling out for foreign assistance due to a lack of individual will. This is a premise that I have always believed in, yet it is one which today’s society would scold you for saying aloud. His second and third point about traveling actually don’t speak to me that much, but his fourth point regarding societal advancement is what really captivated me.
“All men plume themselves on the improvement of society, and no man improves. Society never advances.”
Yes! Finally the problem plaguing our society put into words! There is a pervasive notion in our culture that all we must do is help one another, and that by doing this society will spring forward. That by being fair and just to everyone and working on our “political correctness” and our “cultural interactions” will somehow make our world leap forward. But that is absurd! Society is not an entity in of itself! Society is the amalgamation of every individual that exists within it! Society as a whole will never spring forward unless each individual advances. It is not enough to build new devices and hope that our culture and tolerance will advance along with it. Nor is it enough for us to put boundaries on our society as a whole by limiting what can and cannot be said. Instead we must stop focusing on the concept of society as a whole, and we must first have individual advancement. Man must stop relying on personal “Property”, rather we must have self-reliance! For as Emerson says, “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.”
The Food Sucks!
Esteemed administrators and faculty, fellow students, and members of the Baruch community, the food sucks! It’s too expensive. It’s not good quality. It’s not what we paid for. It should be better. After all, this is a commuter school! There are no nearby dorms where we can make our own food, so it should be provided for us!
Seven Seconds of Fire Response
“Seven Seconds of Fire” http://www.economist.com/node/21541707
“Amen Brother” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxZuq57_bYM
When I started reading “Seven Seconds of Fire”, I only read part of it as I wanted to first listen to the musical piece with as little bias as possible. As I started the article, I skimmed through a description of “jungle music” and saw the title of the song “Amen Brother” and how it originally wasn’t that popular or successful. Intrigued, I pulled up the song and listened to it.
During my first listening, I noticed a few things. I noticed that it was an instrumental piece with a relatively fast tempo and nice beat to it. It also sounded mostly the same throughout, with the exception for a few seconds in the middle when almost all of the instruments cut out and I was left with this seemingly familiar drum beat. Only after reading the article did I fully understand the significance of these so called “seven seconds of fire”, the “Amen Break”.
In 1986, the New York hip-hop scene, coupled with the advent of the sampler, led this Break to become extremely popular as it was used in many songs as either an underlying loop or a break in the tempo of the song. The Amen Break became a staple in most music around that time, and it still plays a big role even now, in high-tempo music like rap.
The reason why this Break speaks to me, isn’t so much the actual music and beat itself, but how it beautifully represents the way our culture can work. This Break is only seven seconds of an entire song. That song was on the B-side of a track. And that track as a whole was unsuccessful. Yet STILL, this Break is so powerful and influential. It reminds me of how viral videos work: how a small, seemingly insignificant, few seconds can become so fabulously famous and change an entire culture. That aspect of our society, how even the smallest break, in a basic song, in an unsuccessful track can become big and famous, is what makes every person hope and dream and strive to create their own “Seven Seconds of Fire.”