Malcolm X, an African American Muslim minster and human rights activist, once said “We declare our right on this earth to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.” According to Malcolm X, everyone on the earth has a right to be called a human being and fit into the category of a human being; no matter if they are young, old, disabled or incompetent. Yet if we were to look back on our past and cannot seem to count how many times these so called human beings have treated others who share the same characteristics of human beings as lesser creatures. It becomes as if in order to have some form of equality, there must always be one group of people that is treated as inferior. According to Francis Fukuyama, author of “Human Dignity”, if we were to live by his idea of Factor X, the world would be a more equal place. “What the demand for equality of recognition implies is that when we strip all of a person’s contingent and accidental characteristic away, there remains some essential human quality underneath that is worthy of a certain minimal level of respect (Fukuyama 186).” In all true fairness this does seem like a good idea in the beginning, however people will always find another reason or characteristic to say that one group of people is better than another. How does Factor X put boundaries and restriction on those that do of fall into the category of Factor X? How can Factor X be improved or change to include them? Do we then create another type of Factor X to create equality again or are we as humans going to accept the fact that there can never really be truly fair, b... ... middle of paper ... ...ts taken away before they even have the chance to used them. They no longer have the choice in how they want to live their lives, political feelings or social interactions because they are either different or do not possess Factor X. These people posses what are as Fukuyama calls them accidental characteristics, that make them unable to be categorize under Factor X. Leaving the idea if these people should still be considered a human being and the idea that if Factor X was amended to fit these people, who will be the new group of people that do not fit into the Category of Factor X ? As we look back into the past there have always been one group of people who do not fit into the general population and are seen as inferior. Even in the present they are these types of people, so if it has been done in both the past and the present, what does it leave for the future.
Ensuring equality among the people promotes fairness and reduces conflict and jealousy. By treating everyone equally we maintain our respect and are able to work together better. The rule we create treats everyone the same and does not provide any special treatment to any specific person. As long as everyone does what is required of them they will obtain what is rightfully due to them.
In “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” book, Malcolm X suffers to courageously advocate for the rights of blacks. He was a human rights activist. He has been called one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history. Malcolm focuses on how racism against blacks dehumanizes them. The Caucasoid race around Malcolm typically read him as one thing but human, and Malcolm’s need to correct this perception drives his fight for racial equality. He experiences delicate racism in his youth from his family and faculty, United Nations agency treat him otherwise from others as a result of him being black. Although his foster folks and a few of the people he encounters in class square are nice to him, Malcolm thinks these folks treat him nicely so as to point out however unprejudiced they are. He feels that they 're mistreatment of him as a result that he 's completely different, as if he were a “pink poodle.” At the start Malcolm successively dehumanizes the Caucasoid race as revenge for his own subjugation. In Boston, he displays his white girlfriend Sophia as a
Barbara Jordan, who is a leader of the Civil Rights movement, once believed “we, as human beings must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves.” Discrimination is a topic often found in the literature and is discussed in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a documentary trailer My So-Called Enemy directed by Lisa Gossels and a short-story “What of this Goldfish, Would You Wish?” by Etgar Keret. Those who believe that accepting others from different racial backgrounds will make the world a better place; meanwhile, there are others who refuse to accept others or being disagreed with the quotes of Barbara Jordan, they think the opposite direction of the people who are agreed with the quotes. I agree with Barbara Jordan that we, as a human beings, can accept others who are different than ourselves because we are sharing a common root of the Mother Earth; thus, we can learn to treat others with kindness and respect, and be more understanding of the differences in others.
Malcolm X is an important figure in human history because he was a human rights activist and fought for equality among people. He was a proficient public speaker who spoke for minorities, mostly African Americans. By reading Malcolm X’s story, I visualize on how a man suffered from the effects of prejudice and his whole disposition was formed from it. I see how a very angry man stayed angry at the "white devils" f...
Until the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his life’s work was dedicated to the nonviolent actions of blacks to gain the freedoms they were promised in the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 by Abraham Lincoln. He believed that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King, 1963). These injustices had become so burdensome to blacks that they were “plunged into an abyss of despair” (King, 1963). The nonviolent actions of the sit-ins, boycotts, and marches were so the “individual could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths…to help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism” and ultimately lead to “inevitably opening the door to negotiation” (King, 1963). Not only was King’s approach effective with the older black generation, it was also successful with white people. They did not feel threatened when approached by King. White people gained a sense of empathy towards the plight of black freedom as King’s promise of nonviolence did not threaten their livelihood. Malcolm X viewed the world similarly to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., however; his beliefs to changing the status quo were slightly different from his political counterpart. Malcolm X realized that “anger could blind human vision” (X, 1965). In realizing this, X knew that in order to achieve racial freedom blacks had to “forget hypocritical politics and propaganda” (X, 1965). While Malcolm X was more so an advocate for violent forces against white people than King, X merely used force when it became necessary for defense. According to X, “I don’t go for non-violence if it also means a delayed solution. I am for violence if non-violence means we continue postponing a solution to American black man’s problem” (X, 1965). However, this le...
“I’m for the truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole” (X). This quote by Malcolm X represented his attitude towards equality and self-empowerment. The true Malcolm X was a passionate human rights activist as well as an extremely outspoken man during the fifties and sixties. X encouraged millions of African Americans to fight for what they believed in and to take pride in their ethnicity. X persuaded a multitude of African Americans that they are supreme and should not be degraded for their skin color. He learned at a very early age if he wanted something in life, he had to make some noise
This paper will discuss the different stages of thought processes the former Nation of Islam minister, Malcolm X went through during his lifetime in terms of how he viewed white people, but more specifically “the white man” in America. The reason the focus is on White Americans is because these were the people outside of the Nation of Islam that shaped his life good or bad and put him on the path where he eventually transformed from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X who was one of the most polarizing and controversial figures during his lifetime and even nearly 50 years after his death the name Malcolm X causes certain people to shudder. Malcolm X became a well-known figure during the 50’s and 60’s during the civil rights movement which involved figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. This was a pivotal era in American history because for the first time that there was major push towards full rights for African Americans. When Malcolm X came on the scene he put fear into White people because they weren’t used to hearing the truth about race relations in America and many of them felt that things were just fine because they themselves were living life high on the hog while at the same time exploiting Blacks. Because this type of talk from a black person was new to them they misinterpreted his views as “hate speech” and accused him of trying to incite violence when he was simply trying wake his people up to properly deal with what was happening to them.
In the end, our society needs to realize that everyone is created equally, no individual is greater than the other. We as all breathe the same air, come from the same creator, and bleed the same blood. The faster we realize this simple concept the better because how can a society progress when it doesn’t even accept it’s own
In a perfect world, everyone WOULD be judged based on the content of their character. But we do not live in a perfect world and humans have always pre-judged others based on physical and cultural differences. These are the first things we notice about a stranger, and first impressions are hard to forget. Racism and prejudice have caused us to make dire mistakes in the past, but we have learned from these mistakes and have bettered our society. However, society today is filled with stereotypes and prejudices about people of certain races. It is evident in all aspects of our lives, including media, culture, and even the legal system.
Francis Fukuyama describes Factor X as, “the one essential human quality underneath that is worthy of a certain minimal level of respect”(Fukuyama 186). Factor X is the center-point of what is known as human dignity. In today's society, there is a regression in the amount of Factor X and a decline in the amount of human dignity shown. In the past, it was common for people to show each other respect as well as respect themselves as it was just common place in society at that time. The treatment of women by both men and other women best shows the drastic f...
The only stable state is the one in which all men are equal before the law.” ― Aristotle; for the previous reasons I firmly believe that we are far from the point where everyone is treated as an equal. I do however have faith and hope that one day we can live in a country where people aren’t judged the color of our skin, the people we love, or the religion we chose to follow but until we reach that point we will still be fighting the fight of civil right.
Basic rights such as free speech, privacy, fair trial, freedom of religion, the right to ones own body, and life should be present universally. But beyond these, what else is necessary? At the very least, equality for all in education, work, voting, rights, pay, and marriage. Depriving one of rights due to their race, age, socioeconomic class, sex, gender, disability, and sexual orientation is morally unethical. The Dalai Lama says it best, “Whether one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, religious or nonbelieving, man or woman, black, white, or brown, we are all the same. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, we are all equal. We all share basic needs for food, shelter, safety and love.” It is vital for one to look beyond these differences and treat their fellow human equally. Political rights such as voluntary voting and the ability to check and balance the government are also imperative. The ability to vote voluntarily gives p...
In history we know that no two men are alike but, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were phenomenal people and leaders. Both had visualized some type of change in the future, yet were not literally able to see it. Both Dr. King and Malcolm X set out to bring a sense of confidence to blacks all over the United States. Their main purpose was to help instill black’s power and strength so that they could overcome racial disparity and prejudice that surrounded them, but both of them had very unique and distinct different ways of promoting their message. Martin was more geared and focused on equality and wellness of the world as a whole, a Malcolm X’s personal interpretation of the world was very well blinded by anger, bitterness, and the desire to get revenge at the expense of the world that he thought treated him unfairly.
THESIS: Scientists and other intellectuals recognize the modern concept of "race" as an artificial category that developed over the past five centuries due to encounters with non-European people. Even though people still attempt to organize humans into categories according to their race, these categories have been shown to have no scientific basis.
First, laws and restrictions are an issue. The government and other agencies can prevent equality by creating rules. “Everyone gets a lifetime maximum of one hundred points… according to the FSEB.” (95). These laws can lead to difficult situations. “You’ve done nothing wrong, what we’ve one is illegal.” (122). In the book The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Jenna is illegal. She is able to break the law and use more than one-hundred points. She isn’t equal, because Jenna was able to take advantage of having unlimited points. Equality is not always about treating everyone the same, it is about treating people in such a way that the outcome for each person can be the same. For a person who is blind it may involve having screen readers on people’s computer and removing obstacles in buildings. This means creating laws