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Jonny L. Bolles
Mrs. Strickland
Senior Writing
23 October 2014
The Power of Voice

The people are powerful, and the way they think is quite unique. Somebody's

thoughts can change the world, but it can't do it alone. Voice is the manifestation of the
power that people hold. Voice may be used to alter people's beliefs and the social environment. Anybody can use this power, and anything can happen. But some might say
differently, that the social environment is the factor that stays the same, and it in turn
changes peoples voice, taking voice's power away.

A good example of this would be probably the simplest, protestors. All the time,

every where around the world, people form together to voice their position. Voice allows
such people to try and change things. It gives these people power. Around the world fast
food workers from all ends of life, from McDonalds to Burger King, exercise their power
of voice in order to lower the wages (Wall Street journal). All around the world these protestors use voice to change the way people see their situation.

People say that the example above is not enough, that all around the world peo-

ple are trying this throughout time. It doesn't mean they are being heard, because some
times the people who need to aren't listening. Understanding this concept, and acknowledging it one might say that it's correct, sometimes protestors just aren't enough.
But, with as many times as it has happened, no matter what happened as a result they
have been heard. As long as one person has their opinion changed, then their voice

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was heard. "The acts of civil disobedience ... were an effort to draw more attention to a
two-year campaign backed by a major labor union..." (Wall Street Journal). Just because someone can't change things, doesn't mean one can't try.

There are many prime examples of such people using their voice in a similar way.

One of which is public speaking, because sometimes large numbers of people aren't
required for voice to stand strong. In some instances voice can emanate beautifully from
one person. Such as the case with Abraham Lincoln, the man who lawfully changed the
world. Using only his own voice, Lincoln decided that he would write the emancipation
proclamation. (Basler, pg. 1) With his words he had started a great movement.

One might have to sympathize with people arguing that these speakers aren't try-

ing to change things, but just trying to be heard. This is a valid argument, one that
somebody would have a hard time countering. But even though someone just wants to
be heard they still have the motive to change. That's why people want their voice heard.
Take Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech. All he wanted to do was voice his
opinion, telling all of his dream. What he did was not only get himself heard. He
changed the world. He said that "this will be the day when all of gods children will be
able to sing with new meaning." (King). Martin Luther King Jr. didn't only get heard, his
voice did.

Enough about all of the famous speakers and protesters. A more connectable

example of voice changing the world would be everything. Anytime anybody has an
opinion, and they want to be heard, voice is used to try and change things. Someone
can be blind, deaf or just downright dumb, all they need is an opinion. Take the previous
example of the fast food protestors. They were just the lowest of the corporate food

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chain, and they wanted to say something. That's exactly what they did. Nobody needs
any previous power, and special connections, or even an actual voice.. The power of
voice is communicated wherever it's needed.

More than enough times people claim that they don't have any power whatsoev-

er, and that they can't even attempt to change. This is really sad, because everybody
has power whether they know it or not. Take this nation, the United States of America,
as an example, or more importantly, it's government. The whole amendment system is
the plainest example of this. If anyone has an idea that they want heard, all they have to
do is speak up. Voice is used to try and change things, and If people are too ignorant to
see this obvious power, then they won't know how to use it, even though just saying
something to a friend is an exercise of voice's power.

In all steps of life there is voice that rings true, whether to change something for

the better or for worse. Voice may be used to alter people's beliefs and the social environment. It can happen through a whole group of people or just as an outlet for one person. Everybody has the power of voice and even if they don't know how to use it, it still
works it's magic to get what needs to be known, known. One could argument that voice
is not only the most used power, but the greatest one of them all.

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WORKS CITED
"A Hong Kongs Protestors Getting Bamboozled." Foreign Policy Articles. Foreign Policy,

3 Oct. 2014. Web. 6 Oct. 2014.

"Emancipation Proclamation." Abraham Lincoln Online. Ed. Roy Basler. Speeches and

Writings, 1 Jan. 1883. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.

"Fast Food Workers Protest For Higher Wages." Wall Street Journal. Wall Street

Journal, 13 Mar. 2014. Web. 6 Oct. 2014.

King, Martin. "MLK I Have A Dream." Top 100 Speeches. American Rhetoric, 28 Aug.

1963. Web. 6 Oct. 2014.