“I have a dream”

August 11, 2014

This essay is nominated for the “iDream” competition in honor of the 50^th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech.

Ulukbek Turdubekov, a junior at the American University of Central Asia, prepared the following essay for submission in the “iDream” competition being held to mark the 50^th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech. We wish Ulukbek the best of luck in the competition.

What is democracy? Up to now there is no one generally accepted definition of this term in the world. I think it will be more right to say democracy - is not a term, it is – occurrence with “public” epithet. Exactly because democracy is a social occurrence and every person perceives it in his/her own way.

For some people, democracy is a shape of state structure; some people consider it as “government of the people” without inquiring into the heart of these words; others consider democracy as anarchy, there is no any common social ideology, and all members of commune act without co-ordination only because they are within their right to do it. But there is another opinion, which says above all democracy is inner secret of mankind.

Unfortunately we, mankind, have found this inner secret just recently and many people are still on the way to that realization. I think, the day when enlightenment came to mankind was August 28^th of 1963. Exactly at that day, the event which brought together about three hundred thousand people in the famous “March on Washington”, gave birth to idea of equality of rights in the minds of generations to follow.

Exactly in those days the human race has proved itself not to be a base animal, one species trying to dominate other one, but that instead the human race has proved it is spiritual and conscious. Exactly since those days, the words “discrimination” and “racism” which were formerly everyday expressions became censured. Great humanist and human rights defender – Martin Luther King Jr. is definitely the initiator of mankind’s enlightenment. I consider him father of mankind’s inner secret - of democracy.

Historians will say I’m perverting the facts, and democracy existed long before Martin King. I agree that something called “democracy” existed in ancient times, but try to figure out for yourself how it can be called democracy if people were ruled by aristocrats and other political activists solely from the upper class and two thirds of the population were slaves – servants of just those rulers of “democratic society”. If such a system really has the right to be called with the majestic word “democracy”, I am ashamed to continue this essay…

For me, democracy is a way towards development in the broadest sense of this word. It should be no surprise, as the XXth century is considered the era of industrial-economical growth. Financial wealth and the purchasing capacity of citizens of the whole world have appreciably risen with the coming of free enterprise, which is a component part of democracy. It has all come true because mankind is headed for building that ideal of democracy that was offered by Martin Luther King. That is really so, free enterprise principles have spread to whole world. This standard has become constitutional in many countries, and our country is no exception.

Unfortunately, the word “development” in consumers mind is interpreted only as economical growth. Of course development includes economical factors, but there is spiritual conscious advance too. The essence of democracy is freedom of inwardness. And this in turn includes: freedom of thought and expression; respecting all human values; equal, fair, and impartial treatment to all members of society regardless of color of skin, nationality, religion, and gender. I want to note each component separately.

The ability to think – this is the indicator of human’s majesty. Thought under tyranny is dictated; under aristocracy – ignored, under socialism – it doesn’t and can’t exist, because collective opinion is more important and it is imposed by the avant-garde of the society, the rest according to logic of the socialism must be conformists. Only democracy gives safe and firm soil, where the tree of majesty can grow up. Democracy serves as the only support where humans really can tower above thoughts, as well as words, and afterwards actions.

Probably you have noticed that since the second half of XX century the amount of wars (on a world, interstate, interethnic, or regional scale) has appreciably decreased. I think it took place due to some components of democracy – specifically respecting of all human values and fair treatment to all people. If we look to whole history of the world, almost all wars and other conflicts took place because of absence of above-listed components of democracy.

Let’s remember the history of Spartacus – leader of slaves who raised in arms against tyrant – Roma; slogans of all crusades – “death to infidels” – thus crusaders called all non-Christians; Civil War since 1861 to 1865 in USA between North and South, where slavery was subject of war. Now, please think a little, could these and other terrestrial disasters have a place if at that time mankind was so “enlightened” as it has become since 1963? I’m convinced that tolerance and fair treatment to different representatives of human society is the basis of peaceful and prosperous human relations.

All of the above mentioned in aggregate is a dream of the father of democracy – Martin Luther King Jr. All of that is his dream, which came true and turned the dreams of billions of people into reality. Democracy is definitely the inner secret, because it contains and assists to realization of all of mankind’s dreams and claims. Only in a democratic atmosphere can mankind find its place and happiness in this world. I am happy that I was born in this “enlightened time”.

Ulukbek TURDUBEKOV, AUCA junior

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