2015 – Most Philosophical 4th Grader in America

Angel Farah, Minnesota.



Compassion Can Change the World


I think compassion has a greater impact on society than violence because most people still care for one another and the environment. People have a heart to change the world and to live in harmony. I want to be a part of that and I hope you do too. There are many examples of compassionate people that left their mark on society and I would like to share three of their stories.


Malala Youafzai did not let her young age stop her from being an advocate for girl’s education in Pakistan. Even after receiving threats from the Taliban, she did not let their fear tactics stop her. Then in 2012, at the age of 15, a gunman shot her in the head. She survived, and has continued to speak up for education with compassion. In 2014, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, making her the youngest recipient. She has helped plant hope and change the course of many children’s lives by using compassion to influence others.


The Blessed Mother Teresa is one of my role models. She was a Catholic nun who served in India at first as a teacher at St. Mary’s school for girls in poverty. Then she felt God call her to serve the poorest people in the slums of Calcutta. She used compassion for others, kindness, loves, and generosity to start many amazing organizations. She founded the Missionaries of Charity with twelve of her former students which began as a school for the poorest children and a place for comfort for the dying. Then, she established an orphanage, a nursing home, a leper colony, and mobile health clinics in India. She is most remembered for touching the “untouchables” at the leper colony. In the United States, she opened Gift of Love, a home to take care of people infected with HIV/AIDS. In 1965, Pope Paul VI awarded the Decree of Praise on Missionaries of Charity, which allowed her to expand the mission internationally. She also received the highest honor by India, the Jewel of India and the Soviet Union’s Golf Medal from the Soviet Peace Committee. Mother Teresa was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. By the time of her death in 1997, the Missionaries of Charity grew to 610 foundations in 123 countries on all seven continents. Due to reflecting Christ’s love and compassion though her actions, she has inspired thousands if not millions to serve others and impact the world.


Martin Luther King, Jr. also used compassion to fulfill his dream. Marin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister and a peaceful leader in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s till he was assassinated in 1968 but his legacy lives on. He led the bus boycott after Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. After over a year of Martin Luther King leading a peaceful boycott and lawsuits, the city of Montgomery, Alabama lifted the law of segregated public transportation. Again, he followed in the footsteps of Christ to change people’s hearts and minds though love and peacefully speaking the truth. His most famous speech, “I Have A Dream” was given to more than 200,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. He had a belief that all men could one day be brothers. His work helped lead to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that outlawed discrimination in publicly owned facilities. Dr. King was also awarded the Noble Peace Prize in 1964. His legacy forever changed how people of color are valued in the United States and the rest of the world.


I hope these examples will help convince you to agree that thought compassion and love people can make monumental changes in the world. Thank you for reading my opinion on this topic and I hope you can at least consider my thoughts and possibly agree to how compassion can have an impact on society that lives on even beyond the initial act of compassion.

 

 



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