Throughout the course, English Composition 105 at the University of Michigan Dearborn, the stories of people who have fought for what they consider just have been shared. Major figures discussed in the class such as Benazir Bhutto, Rosa Parks, Robert Reich, and the Ferguson protesters all share the same idea that the first step in achieving justice comes from singularly attacking the situation and then gaining a following to truly start a battle. In examining the lives of these people, a truth about the human spirit can be deduced; the human spirit is stubborn and does not quit easily. The human spirit will push a person who strives for change through the most combative situations with no suggestion of surrender. A warrior for justice and fairness is summoned from deep inside the person, accepting the most deterring challenge which stands in front of them obstructing the views of what is stood for. The initial person who chooses to start the battle holds an idea of a future with fewer injustices and more equality and peace, which pushes them to continue to fight to see this vision become reality. In the book “Soul of a Citizen” a quote from the Trappist monk Thomas Merton is used “...individual growth is possible only through interaction with the human and natural world, and through experiences that challenge us.”(27). I believe Merton suggests here that in accepting a summons to fight for what is right; a person can realize they can actually bring about change for the good of all people.
Benazir Bhutto is an example of someone who had to fight attackers that came after her with criticism and actual force while she pursued her ideas that she knew could help the greater good of others. Bhutto was a woman who led the Pakistani people from 1988 to 1990 and 1993 to 1996 as Prime Minister of Pakistan. Bhutto was an extraordinary woman for many reasons, but her most important attribute would have to be her devoutness to bringing peace and justice to the people of Pakistan who had been facing inequality and war for decades under non-democratic forms of government. Pakistan had been believed to be a country where a democratic government could not exist within a primarily Islamic population due to the Islamic people believing religion should dominate government. Bhutto sought to disprove this myth. Being lucky to have a fair-ruling, level-headed father as a politician who allowed her to study at Oxford University, she was able to apply her vast knowledge and observations of Pakistani government to assert her ideas and theories that a democracy could function inside an Islamic country. She used the Pakistan Constitution of 1973 as one of her argumentative tools in proving her point about the compatibility of Islam and democracy. The Constitution states the following: “wherein the principles of democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance, and social justice, as enunciated by Islam, shall be fully observed” (181). This makes it clear that the principles of democracy can and will be found when looking into the laws of Islam, and there is no reason as to why they should not be followed in the Pakistani government. When Bhutto was able to go into the public and voice the truths about Islam and democracy, she was able to gain a large and very loving following. Bhutto fought for a government that would keep her people safe and give them the rights the Quran allowed them through providing those same rights as stated in the principles of democracy. She was beloved by her people because she continued to fight for justices no matter how much her adversaries told her what she was doing was wrong.
Paul Loeb was a writer who wrote the book “Soul of a Citizen.” In his book he writes stories of people overcoming adverse situations stemming from standing for what they believe in. Loeb writes on famous figures such as Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and their struggles in fighting for social justice. In writing about these famous figures of change, he discusses the first steps one must take in making a change in society. “This process may require acknowledging painful truths, withstanding conflict, and standing on shaky ground.”(27). In stating this, Loeb is conveying that the first steps that one must go through to achieve a desired result are not as easy as they sound. There are risks in putting personal beliefs into the human world. This statement is very true regarding Loeb’s description of Rosa Parks’ story. Rosa Parks was an early civil rights activist who performed a singular act promoting change against racial inequality that helped spark a movement; Parks’ singular act being that she had sat in a section of a city bus that was reserved for Whites only, while she, herself, was an African American. Parks understood that a strong message about acceptance and equality of all races would be spoken through her actions that day, but Parks was also aware of the people who would be angered by her defiant behavior. What Parks had to realize in starting the battle against racial inequality was that there would be many foes that she would have to dispute with to maintain her prospects of a brighter future promising the equality she so felt all humans deserved. Rosa Parks knew her consequences for her actions and opinions would result in imprisonment and being shunned by many, but she knew that individuals would come support her with the same opinions and fight with her to support her ideas and beliefs. Parks accepted a summons to contest and left with awareness of the severity of racial inequality in the U.S. after performing such a subtle movement of disobedience. Loeb effectively uses Parks’ story in his book in describing figures of change and how those changes come to be through taking small, yet powerful steps.
Now, what I feel I must explain here is that there are two types of important figures of change. There are those who have worked on gaining the status for decades and are now easily recognizable by society as people who have changed the course of history (Bhutto and Parks), and then there are the unnamed people you find today who work hard in trying to gain such status. A person who you’d find today that is trying to use his personal ideas and opinions to bring about change in the country would be a person such as Mr. Robert Reich. Reich is a politically-minded economist, professor, author, and political commentator who believe the people of the United States deserve economic equality. In his film “Inequality for All” he describes the current economic situation in the U.S. and how the political actions that are being taken are not helping the U.S. population as a whole, and the product of these actions is widespread inequality between the rich and poor. Reich is someone who feels morally obligated in advocating equality where he sees it is being neglected. Though he may have started as just a man who held ideas and theories as to how to help the economic state of the U.S., he has let his determination for change guide him into the beginning stages of becoming a recognizable force for advancement in society. Reich, in fighting for change, has been able to gain administrative positions in the White House over several presidencies. In the White House, he was able to gain further insight on what political actions must be taken to make change throughout the country being the Secretary of Labor. Reich, thought he may be only a simple professor in a college giving lectures on economics now-a-days, he still continues to gain a following. The man is still working on using his voice of change to inspire others to follow his ideals. Though Reich may not be considered necessarily a major figure of change, he is definitely one in the works, gaining knowledge and awareness of the world around him as he continues his battle for economic equality in the United States.
Throughout this paper I have discussed individuals who have sparked change, but what needs to be addressed is also the power a group’s opinions have in creating change. Switch to any news station and watch for more than ten minutes today, and you’ll hear the news anchor mention the Ferguson protesters at least once. The Ferguson protesters are a growing group of individuals who believe in bringing justice to Michael Brown. An article from Practicaltheory.org briefly explains the case that has caught the attention of so many: “Mike Brown (a young black male) was shot by a police officer (a middle-aged white man) despite being unarmed…” This group that supports the rights that Michael Brown deserved but did not receive the day of his murder is an example of the power that can form from following a singular incident. The Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, MO, has stirred up intense conversations about racism in the U.S. continuing to exist fervently amongst a society where the unoppressed are uneducated and uninterested on the issues of racial biases amid the nation. What Ferguson protesters hope to do is make aware to the entire population the actions that need to be taken to bring justice to those of all races in the U.S. The protesters who choose to fight for justice share their knowledge about inequality throughout the country and explain how racial prejudices affect how some are treated one way, while others are treated another in society, because these people understand that only when the oppressors are aware and educated on the fact that their racial biases do have an effect on society can something be done to correct it. In this instance, there is no singular person fighting for justice and equality, rather, there is a collective group of people sharing the same idea. In situations like these, an idea does not need to be advocated by a single person to start gaining a following. Individual summons to contest are brought up in this group to accept the challenge of bringing justice and peace to all of society, and each individual in that group becomes the figure of change.
A time where I fought for equal representation was during my tenure as class president during my ninth grade year. I was in charge of the task of building the freshman class homecoming float, which if you know anything about float-making; it requires a large group of people that can function as a whole. My first impulse was to secure people from all groups in the class to work together on this project, rather than the normally accepted popular-kid-only crowd. I, myself, was not necessarily popular, so convincing people who had never participated in school events before (such as me before becoming president) was near painless. I accomplished this very peacefully by simply inviting all classmates to volunteer and welcoming whomever wanted to work. There was never any backstabbing, I kept things fun, and we were able to work together and get along to the delight of everyone. Jocks, goths, cheerleaders, band geeks and the class clown would all come to my house to gather and work on this project in harmony as they joked and chatted about their teachers with each other. I set the standard of acceptance and neutrality so everyone else followed suit. I fought to have the acceptance of all cliques’ participation in school-wide events because it was what I felt was right and just.
The Ferguson protesters, Robert Reich, Rosa Parts, and Benazir Bhutto serve as an example of how accepting a summons to fight for what is right leads a person to realize that they can bring about great change for the good of all people. The English Composition course at the University of Michigan Dearborn has taught me about these major figures of change and how singular thoughts and actions can have enormous effects upon many. Benazir Bhutto fought for democracy and peace in Pakistan. Rosa Parks bravely took a stance against racial inequality in the U.S. Robert Reich brings awareness of economic inequality amongst U.S. citizens. Ferguson protesters bravely stand up against police brutality and racial profiling. These people all share a common goal to see the human inalienable right to a just civilization. The seeds of change are planted in the actions of a single person and a following is gained. Changes occur and wrongs are righted one small step at a time, individual by individual.
