King and Kyi: Martyrs for Equality
The struggle for justice and equality has been a problem for many years and unfortunately still exists in many areas of our world today. There are many different views on what is fair and on CE who should be included in the process of equality. There have been numerous figures throughout history who have preached, protested, and fought for the rights of mankind. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Aung San Suu Kyi, though different in gender, race, time period, and geographic location, are two who were united in their beliefs of justice for all. The efforts of these two martyrs have not faded throughout the years, and we all have something to learn from their peaceful, yet powerful protests that helped to change the tide for so many people. ..excellent intro although I’m not sure the next sentence should go here since it limits your thesis.These protests also caused legal repercussions for both King and Kyi during their times. TR You jump here. King wrote a letter to his fellow clergymen during his stay at
Birmingham City jail in Alabama, which was titled, “Letter from Birmingham.” Martin Luther
King, Jr. was a man of deep religious convictions, who believed in the rights and freedoms of all men and women, regardless of the color of their skin. King believed in the word of God; he believed in the laws of Christianity. He stood for everything that our country, the United State of
America, was founded on. He stood for these values, even when the very country that had fought for them was against him. King was a member of a society where “…change to [he]you [saw]see the vast majority of [his]your Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society” (were these the editor’s words or King’s words? Austin 177). How could it be that a country whose founding members fought and struggled for freedom for so long could be forcing this oppression onto so many members of its society? The white members of

society were entitled to the rights of the nation; they were able to vote, to attend the school of their choosing, to eat lunch at the place of their desire, and to sit in any seat on a bus or in a theatre. The black members of this same society were not afforded those same rights. King believed in democracy, but he believed in democracy for all people.
TR Martin Luther King, Jr. believed that in order to bring change, there must be some level of tension. The tensions King spoke of were not about violence, but about the type of tension that forces people to open their eyes to the injustice of society. When this type of tension is created, people are also forced to open their eyes and ears to negotiation. King was disappointed in the leaders who claimed to be his allies, but who would not truly stand for equality when the time came to make a statement. King believed that these leaders were afraid to stand; they were not willing to sacrifice by accepting unjust punishments as King had done.
TR you jump again. Add a transitional sentence. Aung San Suu Kyi was a woman with deep religious convictions as well, though hers were rooted in Buddhism instead of Christianity.
There are many differences in the two religions, of course, but they have many of the same basic principles. Kyi was also punished for her activism by being placed on home confinement. During her time of incarceration, she wrote an essay, “In Quest of Democracy.” Kyi expressed her belief that democracy is indeed attainable, even for non-Western countries, such as Burma. She often made a point to protest on the basic ideas of her country’s religion, Buddhism. Kyi believed that the key elements of a Buddhist nation should be democracy, human rights, and equality for all people. Kyi also spoke of the rights and the responsibilities of a leader or king. A leader is to be self-sacrificing for the needs and wants of his citizens. A leader must follow the will of his people, not of his own desires. These ideas were