Margaret Thatcher and Martin Luther King Jr

There is one thing that will never change, and that is change itself. The inevitability of things not being the same as they were is what drives everything that is known. We see many examples of change today, both subtle and dramatic. The theme of these articles is the change itself as described in these articles. Whether it’s from the need for change or changes that have been made, change makes up the central theme in these articles.

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Margaret Thatcher was a former British Prime Minister as well as world leader with great influence. Her conservative ideology and hardline political approach made her a political force during her time in office. Thatcher spoke to the United Nations on November 8th, 1989 on the issue of climate change. In her speech she spoke of how we as humans carry “common burdens” and the need for “common action’’ to combat them. She then spoke about how the major dangers of the past like the cold war were beginning to disappear leading to peace throughout the world. However, Thatcher says new threats to humankind are arising. “It is the prospect of irretrievable damage to the atmosphere, to the oceans, to earth itself.” She then gives an example of a group of people who lived on Easter Island who destroyed their home’s environment to accommodate their inflated populus. This lack of resources led to war and the devastation of the population on Easter Island. She says we are experiencing that now, but on a much grander scale. She gives examples of the shrinking supply of sea ice and the depletion of the Ozone layer of the atmosphere. After that, she tells of the potential worldwide economic damage that can and will occur if action isn’t taken. Other more pressing examples she gives are massive drought, famine, accumulation of greenhouse gasses, and extreme weather. She then provides a solution which is to make changes to how we are as a society. There is a need for the individual too nations to make a change in their behaviors, or as Thatcher says, “May we all be equal to that task.” In her speech Thatcher stresses a key subject, change. By changing the way we live and do things we could avoid a perilous road that could destroy our planet and more importantly our species.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an influential civil rights leader who led many events and gave many speeches calling out the injustices of segregation. His achievements and influence led to the repealing of said segregation laws and paved the way toward a better future for America. In his famous writing, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” he describes the injustices that have occured that have caused him and his followers to non violently protest the streets of Birmingham Alabama. He claims they had to take action to try to make a change because of the racial dricrimination and unjust treatment that not only the town’s officials tolerated but encouraged in some cases. From having a member of the KKK in a position of power to the partaking in unfair and unjust laws that discriminate against a person born of color.  To make a change is why they protested, in a non violent fashion, in the streets of Birmingham. The change would help all people have access to a fair and better future.

Social Media has been a booming and unique tool used by hundreds of millions of people every day. Edward Kessler made this point in his article “Social Media and The Movement of Ideas”. In his article he informs us of the exponential growth of the internet and its user count. He explains in his abstract that social media should be observed in a positive light because it allows the user to find and participate in the spread of ideas and what is really happening in the world. He uses Egypt as an example of this saying “…Egypt blocked the internet on 27th of January but reopened it on 2nd of February 2011.” He describes social media as a place for people to express their views on a subject and publish them for all to see and others to critique them. Furthermore, this has led to several powerful institutions such as the church to wane in influence in the age of social media. Examples such as how the priest was considered only a couple of generations for centuries to be the only and best source of religious authority and output. The changes brought on by social media have allowed people to see other views of their religion from other people’s perspective. Social media also comes with downsides such as the spread of misinformation and “negative content” to spread along with “dark underworld” in the internet. The animosity that comes along with social media is another issue Kessler touches on. This allows the spread of several unfavorable views to be spread especially post 9/11. He then explains social media could be a positive place for an “interfaith dialogue” between Christians Muslims and Jews. Kessler makes a point that the internet in the form of social media could be good or bad depending on what is posted or said. Changes could be made to eliminate some of the animosity that comes along with social media, which would allow people to be held more responsible for what they have said. Kessler in his article touches on many key points they indicate the theme to be change. From how he thinks changes are needed to prevent the spread of misinformation, too the changes of how we receive said information with the rise of social media.

Change is the theme of these articles because the authors emphasize change. From the need for it too the effects of it. In Margret Thatcher’s speech to the United Nation it was the need to switch to methods of production that would slow and hopefully stop the effects of climate change. In MLK’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” he explains in writing the reason for their protests’ was to make a change to the current system that was discriminating against people of color. In Kesslers’ article he describes a need for change in the current system to make people more responsible for what they say and form a better dialogue between people with different views and beliefs along with current world events.

Works Cited:

“Martin Luther King Jr.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 26 July 2019, www.biography.com/activist/martin-luther-king-jr.

“Margaret Thatcher.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 26 June 2019, www.biography.com/political-figure/margaret-thatcher.

“Social Media and the Movement of Ideas” Edward Kessler, European Journalism, Spring 2013,

“Speech to United Nations General Assembly” Margret Thatcher, November 8 1989

“Letter from Birmingham Jail” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, April 16 1963