i have a dream
i am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
five score years ago, a great american, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the emancipation proclamation. this momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. it came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
but one hundred years later, the negro still is not free. one hundred years later, the life of the negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. one hundred years later, the negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. one hundred years later, the negro is still languished in the corners of american society and finds himself an exile in his own land. and so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
in a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. when the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the constitution and the declaration of independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every american was to fall heir. this note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable rights" of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." it is obvious today that america has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. instead of honoring this sacred obligation, america has given the negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
but we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. we refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. and so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
we have also come to this hallowed spot to remind america of the fierce urgency of now. this is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. now is the time to make justice a reality for all of god's children.
it would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. this sweltering summer of the negro's legitimate discontent will not pauntil there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. and those who hope that the negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to busineas usual. and there will be neither rest nor tranquility in america until the negro is granted his citizenship rights. the whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
but there is something that i must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: in the proceof gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterneand hatred. we must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. we must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
the marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. and they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
we cannot walk alone.
and as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
we cannot turn back.
there are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "when will you be satisfied?" we can never be satisfied as long as the negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. we can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. we cannot be satisfied as long as a negro in mississippi cannot vote and a negro in new york believes he has nothing for which to vote. no, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousnelike a mighty stream.
dear classmates,
every one of us, rich or poor, should at least have one or two good friends. my friends will listen to me when i want to speak, will wipe my eyes when i cry, will take care of me when i am sick, and my friends will go together with me side by side through this journey of life.
as students, we could share more time with our friends. the friendship in our young hearts is pure, fresh and simple. i often feel very lucky to have a lot of good friends. especially when i had justin as one of my best friends. justin was my english teacher from the usa. i met him in 1996 when i was a student who could only speak very little english. justin was a vivid young man with a bright smile on his face, and he always had his special way to make the class active and attractive. he taught us english by telling stories, playing games, singing songs, and even dancing. i could still remember very clearly that one afternoon when we fin-ished our class, we went to some other classes to sing songs for them, just like what people do in the states on christmas eve. it was so interesting and unforgettable. justin was an excellent teacher, because he taught us not only how to study english well, but also the way to find out the beauty of the world and the way to be angels to others' lives. i know there was friendship and pure love in our hearts. facing this valuable emotion neither nationality nor age was important, the real importance lay in faith, under-standing, and care. justin is the best friend i have ever had, and i know i will cherish those days of staying together with him as the best part of my memory.
friendship is a kind of treasure in our lives. it is actually like a bottle of wine, the longer it is kept, the sweeter it will be. it is also like a cup of tea. when we are thirsty, it will be our best choice, but when we have enough time to enjoy ourselves, it is also the most fragrant drink.
however, in this fast-developing modern society, the reality is not that. more and more people forget to enjoy the beauty of life and -the beauty of friendship. they work hard in order to gain a higher position, in the society and to earn more money for their work. of course, we don't deny that it is important to find a bet-ter place in our lives, but we wish more and more people could pay a little more attention to themselves and their friends. all of us have to spare some time for personal lives. we have to find the chance to express our emotion and love. when staying with our friends, we can release ourselves completely. we can do whatever we want, we can laugh together, talk together, and even cry to-gether. i should say that being together with our best friends is the most wonderful moment of our lives.
as we know, we would feel lonely if we didn't even have a friend. but it doesn't mean we could depend on our friends all the time. there is a famous motto saying that “a friend is like a quilt with cotton wadding, but the real thing that keeps you warm is your own temperature.” it is really true. we have to work hard together with our friends, encourage each other and help each other. when we receive love and friendship, we should repay as much as we can.
finally, let's pray together now that one day, all of us could find the person we want to find, and could enjoy a real beautiful friendship in our lives. let's pray the flower of friendship be-tween our friends and us would always bloom brightly in our hearts.
hello,everyone. good afternoon. thank you for giving me this opportunity to talk about my top concern. i'm no.26, i'll talk about friend.
everyone of us,rich or poor,should at least have one or two good friends. my friend will listen to me when i want to speak, will help me when i need,will take care of me when i am sick,and my friends will go together with me side by side through this journey of life.
when i was ten, i was suddenly confronted with the anguish of transferring to other school. i had to left my friends i had ever known. as a kid,i feel lonely when i study in a new environment without a person i had known. nobody i could talk,nobody could know when i feel lonely. the time when i couldn't sleep, i'll always miss them, then the tears filled my eyes.
later, i became familar with the environment ,and made some friends ,which became my best friends then. they talked with me when i felt lonely, they helped me when i needed, they took care of me when i was sick. even through we were part, we still keep in touch with each other.
in our whole lives,we'll meet too much people but only a few can be our best friends. when staying with them,we can release ourself completely. we can do whatever we want, we can laugh together, talk together, and even cry together. i should say that being together with our best friends is the most wonderful moment of our lives.
but in this fast-developing modern society, the reality is not that. more and more people forget to enjoy the beauty of friendship. they work hard in order to gain a higher position in the society and to earn more money for their work. they have few time to share with their friends. with the time goes by, they will be far away from each other.
friend is kind of treasure in our lives. it's actually like a bottle of wine, the longer it is kept, the sweeter it will be. it also likes a cup of hot tea, when we are in bed time, it will warm our broken hearts.
friends,especially best friends. it is what we should have in our lives,and it can make our lives be colorful go beyond our imagination.
thanks for your listening. this is what i concerned.