The News asked some West Point Middle Schoolers ….
A visit to the West Point Middle School on Monday provided the opportunity to ask some seventh and eighth grade students two questions about the upcoming Martin Luther King Day holiday.
After a brief discussion about the holiday and how many feel it should be used as a National Day of Service, they were asked to write a quick answer to one of the following prompts. Their answers are impressive.
The first option was to finish this sentence — “Martin Luther King Day should continue to be observed in America because ….”
The second option was to answer the question: “Is a National Day of Service a good idea, and why?”
Here are some of the responses:
• Martin Luther King Day should be observed because he created and helped add to a foundation of equality for everyone. (Taylor)
• Yes, because we should remember what he did for not only African Americans, but for all people. He fought peacefully and for that was jailed 29 times. In 1968 he did a speech on my birthday, April 3. I will never forget and neither should other people: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” (Maddison)
• Martin Luther King was a good, helpful, kind person. We should honor that and follow his example, follow in his footsteps, and continue his work. It would be good for MLK Day to be a holiday made for helping people; everyone needs a little help sometimes. (McKenzie)
• A National Day of Service on MLK Day will help lots of people, so it is important. (Reily)
• MLK Day should still be recognized because his cause stopped the way the world looked at least other and brought us all together. A National Day of Service should happen, as it helps spread Dr. King’s cause, brings people together and brings an understanding of MLK to mind.
• A National Day of Service on Martin Luther King Day would be a good idea because Dr. King believed in helping others.
• A National Day of Service is a good idea because it helps people across the nation to come together and serve their communities, and be a part of something larger than themselves.
• This holiday is a day off with no separation of skin color. (Jeremy)
• Yes to remaining a holiday because he was a great guy and helped many.
• Martin Luther King Day should continue to be observed because he was a national hero in stopping segregation, which was a big issue back in his time. (Chris)
• Martin Luther King Day should still be observed because it is a reminder of the adversity he overcame. (Bradley)
• MLK Day should be continued because he made a huge change in civil rights for African Americans.
• Always honor Dr. King because he was a great man who fought for what America stands for; he realized people were being treated wrong and fought for them. (JJ)
• Have the holiday because it honors the life of a patriotic man who improved overall life in America.
• Martin Luther King Day should still be observed because it is a day that celebrate equality and unity of all races. (Jacob)
• MLK Day should be continued because he worked to stop racism. (Connor)
• A National Day of Service would be a very good idea because it would encourage people to help other people and at the same time it would boost morale. Sometimes even just the smallest act of service can make a person’s day. A national service day could be enormously helpful for individuals, communities and entire areas. (Liesl)
• National Service Days are important because they remind people, particularly young people, that the day isn’t just a day off of school, but a day because someone else did service and we need to pass that on. (Isabella)
• Martin Luther King Day is still important because he helped end segregation. (Lillian)
