Difference Between Roosevelt And Martin Luther King Jr

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The average man wants to be free and to be safe. Men want their freedom to lead to safety, but they do not want freedom with no safety. Many activists and political leaders have written about freedom and safety all throughout history, from segregation to present day. Men change what they want depending on the circumstance. H.L. Mencken said, “The average man does not want to be free; he simply wants to be safe.” When the average man has and receives freedom, he wants safety. When the average man does not have freedom, he wants freedom. H.L. Mencken’s words can be interpreted the way he said them, but they can also be interpreted to another way. Some people will risk their freedom for safety. However, some people will risk their safety for…show more content…
In describing freedom, Roosevelt uses how it is “the full development of individual personality”(Roosevelt) with some characteristics of what freedom allows. The difference between Eleanor Roosevelt and Martin Luther King, Jr. is the circumstances that each found themselves in. Roosevelt tries to convince how human freedom needs to exist no matter the situation. For example she writes “[she has] great sympathy with the Russian people. They love their country and have always defended it valiantly against invaders. They have been through a period of revolution, as a result of which they were cut off from outside contact” (Roosevelt). She uses the Russian people as an example because they live in a totalitarian government, where they receive little freedom. The Russian people fight for their safety. They want freedom, but not as much as they want safety from their government. The Russian people receive a type of freedom from their government, and they use this little freedom to achieve safety from the government. Eleanor Roosevelt explains how safety is needed for people with freedom because they already receive freedom from their government, but she proves and explains how average men who receive freedom want safety rather than want
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