Obama speaks on 50th anniversary of King speech

Commemorative speech

On the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s, "I Have a Dream," speech, the President of the United States also gave speech.

From the, "I Have a Dream," speech I want to provide this quote:

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

The discussion is whether or not:
1) The policies enacted by the government are helping or hindering this goal; and,
2) Public speeches made by politicians are perceived as leading to this goal.

I have a Drone....

reply to post by totallackey

The discussion is whether or not:
1) The policies enacted by the government are helping or hindering this goal; and,
2) Public speeches made by politicians are perceived as leading to this goal.

The 'policies' both help and hinder.

It depends on the agendas of the ones doing the talking.

The biggest problem I see is the 'content of their character' perceptions.

Speeches can sway opinion either way. So can facts.

It's one big Gordian Knot.

reply to post by xuenchen

Thanks xuenchen.

What do you believe Dr. King Jr. meant when he mentioned, "character," in the context of his speech?

Originally posted by Soloprotocol
I have a Drone....

I must state I am jealous your reply to this thread has already received more stars than the OP...not to say I do not disagree....quite original and funny!

reply to post by totallackey


Any politician that promotes a law that differentiates along racial lines only helps in aiding the divisiveness.

There are current laws that punish those that bias along racial lines. We don't need anymore laws.

We, so rarely as a culture, judge based on the content of ones character.

reply to post by totallackey


Character?

A dream that all people be judged by the content of their character... As opposed to the color of their skin, or whatever ephemeral "flaw" one uses to reach "judgement" upon someone they know not.

To judge one by one's character, doesn't that imply some intimate knowledge of that person? I think so.

Character is what makes us, well, us. Good. Evil. Even neutral. It's instilled by so many things in our life... Actually it's everything in our life that develops our characters. Character is also how we respond to events in our lives... For better or for ill.

I don't think Dr. King was referencing any particular facet of character, just that that character is what people, no matter who, should be judged by. The ephemeral's are meaningless in the ultimate end... Character is all.

Sorry I butted in, but couldn't help it. It was a very good question.

reply to post by beezzer


Do you believe that most people, regardless of ethnicity, would as a matter of habit, look first toward, "the content," of another person's character, without the need for any laws prohibiting ethnic discrimination?

If the answer to that question is yes, then do you believe the meaning of the word, "character," is universally understood?

reply to post by totallackey


A simple rule of thumb would be based on the Ten Commandments, as Dr. King was affiliated with a christian church.

So easy, just 10 simple rules to live your life by.

I'm afraid the good Dr. King must be rolling over in his grave to see how far afield america has become from his simple wish. It's really sad.

reply to post by totallackey


I guess it'd be like an interview.

You could a) base the hiring of the individual the moment the person walked into the office(colour of skin), or b) you could read their resume (content of character).

I hope that explained my position.

Originally posted by seagull
reply to post by totallackey

 

Character?

A dream that all people be judged by the content of their character... As opposed to the color of their skin, or whatever ephemeral "flaw" one uses to reach "judgement" upon someone they know not.

To judge one by one's character, doesn't that imply some intimate knowledge of that person? I think so.

Character is what makes us, well, us. Good. Evil. Even neutral. It's instilled by so many things in our life... Actually it's everything in our life that develops our characters. Character is also how we respond to events in our lives... For better or for ill.

I don't think Dr. King was referencing any particular facet of character, just that that character is what people, no matter who, should be judged by. The ephemeral's are meaningless in the ultimate end... Character is all.

Sorry I butted in, but couldn't help it. It was a very good question.

First, there is no need to apologize. You are certainly not, "butting in," and I certainly appreciate your well written, clear, and thoughtful response to this thread.

I can certainly understand why Dr King Jr. could only, "dream," of such a world at the time this speech was delivered. It was certainly a time of turmoil and there were clearly institutional practices in place that did not allow for issues of character to even be a point of discussion.

I, for one, would agree that some level of intimacy would be required to come any sense of a judgment call regarding the "content," of another person's character. Do you feel the amount of intimacy can be quantified and thus addressed through any policy?

I find your take on Dr. King's meaning quite interesting and thought-provoking. Do you believe the term "vicious racists," is not an indictment on ones' character?

Why would any intimacy be involved?

The person's actions would dictate their resume (or character).

reply to post by Happy1

I'm afraid the good Dr. King must be rolling over in his grave to see how far afield america has become from his simple wish. It's really sad.

in what way do believe America is "far afield?'

reply to post by beezzer

I believe in order to be able to include, "character references," in an honest manner, the person listed as such a reference should be "intimate," with the person providing the resume...

Everyone is judged on their character. That is how you are liked or not liked. That is how you accumulate friends or enemies. If you are not judged by your character, why do trials call in "Character Witnesses"?

Originally posted by totallackey
reply to post by beezzer

 

I believe in order to be able to include, "character references," in an honest manner, the person listed as such a reference should be "intimate," with the person providing the resume...

I think you're confusing character reference with character.

One requires an intimate knowledge of an individual, the other is based by the individuals own actions.

Originally posted by totallackey
reply to post by xuenchen

 

Thanks xuenchen.

What do you believe Dr. King Jr. meant when he mentioned, "character," in the context of his speech?

Judgement of 'character' is based on perception IMO.

Example:

A banker is viewed as an upstanding citizen in the community.

If that banker is exposed to be an embezzler, then the perception changes.

King was hoping for change in perceptions based on initial judgments based on 'first sight'.
He probably wanted judgements to be based on accomplishments and/or actions.


Another example:

A man is wearing ragged cloths in public and is not clean shaven and has long unruly hair.

Is he initially 'viewed' as a bum or a banker ?

Both could be true, but only one at a time, not both at the same time.

King's entire statement is philosophical.

reply to post by beezzer


Maybe I am misunderstanding. I thought a "character reference," would be able to provide information relative to a person's character (e.g., work performance, morality, general behavior, etc.)

Originally posted by whatnext21
Everyone is judged on their character. That is how you are liked or not liked. That is how you accumulate friends or enemies. If you are not judged by your character, why do trials call in "Character Witnesses"?

So, can I assume you believe there is no further need for any laws regarding discriminatory work practices?

Originally posted by totallackey
reply to post by beezzer

 

Maybe I am misunderstanding. I thought a "character reference," would be able to provide information relative to a person's character (e.g., work performance, morality, general behavior, etc.)

Okay.

But that is entirely different from judging based on the content of one's character.

(translated: judging based on how the individual comports himself in the world)