Throughout the 20th century, the world expanded its ideas of equality and decency thinking to the help of many men and women who fought for their freedom. Some, however, paid an ultimate price: their lives. Civil rights activists like Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, and Harvey Milk were killed for their visions for equality.

Many people like myself ask: why do these men who promote peace and the well being of others meet a tragic end? If they could have done more, if they were given more time on this Earth, what more would they have done? Unfortunately, we will never know what they could have accomplished. These men dared to challenge authoritative figures and fight for what is right. Gandhi was a man of peace, Milk brought together an entire community, and Martin denounced war, saying it wasn’t necessary to make a change. These brave men valued human life.

Those in power don’t want to give it up most times. They’re afraid of those who try and make a change. During the time of Gandhi and MLK, authority was being challenged and many people joined the cause. Gandhi had millions of people gathered for peaceful protest and was murdered right before a prayer.

Martin Luther King Jr. dared to challenge the United States authority about the Vietnam War, saying that, “War was doing far more than devastating the hopes of the poor at home,” by sending young black men to fight for the freedom of the people of Southeast Asia, yet it was not found within their own community. King denounced war, thus denouncing the United States government. They were afraid because MLK had millions of people, black and white, that stood with him. He was killed for spreading the idea that all people should be equal and violence was not necessary.

To answer the original question, those in power wanted to stay in power and didn’t want to give it up. They saw these men as a threat and put an end to the threat, only to make them martyrs.

Many revolutionaries have died for their cause. Che Guevara, Malcolm X, Abraham Lincoln, and perhaps the most famous one of all, Jesus Christ. Christ encouraged the people to follow God and live for him. As we all know, or at least we all should know, the Roman government didn’t like that people followed him, so they put an end to the problem by nailing him on a cross.

Our future is shaped by men and women who stand against those in power. As long as people think freely and educate themselves, there will be a chance to better our world from the tyrannical powers that engage in war with each other, in attempts to seize more power over the lesser. I’ll leave you with this: think like Che, think like MLK, think like Gandhi, think more like Christ. Think more. It will lead you to a better future for you and the generations to come.