Martin Luther King

King's comparison of a check to the life of Negro's in America was meant to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children and people (King 1). .
             A constant reference to the past is made to not allow the audience to forget about America's history and how it became the nation it became. The history of America begins with the citizens of the colonies seeking equal representation and rights as the citizens in England during their time period. The lack of rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, stirred up the colonists and caused the proposal of a revolution. This history of American demonstrates that the nation was built on the desire of freedom and rights. These are the same rights that the Negro's continually sought after and fought for. Dr. King's mentioning of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence is a reminder that the need and yearning of freedom, independence, and inalienable rights were the only reason that America is the free country where any religion or beliefs could be freely expressed (King 1). Dr. King is inevitably saying that the Negroes of America were most surely forgotten when the constructors of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence was formed. The former slaves and physical bearers of the nation have been isolated and left out to dry in the land that they can claim as their own (King 1). This abandonment of the Negro people has shown that the Constitution and Declaration of Independence have now been proven faulty and dishonest. The lack of equal freedom and rights have also proven that the writers of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence did not foresee the disclosure towards the Negroes or were hypocritical and did not point the purpose towards all the people in the soon to be nation. .
             King's central idea of the "I Have A Dream" speech is not to gain sympathy and pity from fellow citizens through references to the past, but to solely seek equal treatment that the Negroes of America have so desperately needed.