The Ride for Freedom

It is impossible for two humans to reason identically all the time. When the two sides reason differently then there is a conflict. Arguments can be hostile, friendly, understanding, or even malicious. There are many types of arguments, but a prominent type of argument is the political argument. One example of a political argument revolves around the Freedom Riders, the Kennedy administration, and the opponents of the movement.

The Freedom Riders movement began in 1961 with white and blacks alike receiving training to understand the turmoil and hatred they would go through during the ride on the Greyhound bus. The riders were trying to integrate into a normal and nonviolent manner by simply boarding the bus. One day eleven, 2 buses started the journey for Alabama, but only one made it to Birmingham because of their unwarm welcome. The white mob popped tires, broke windows, and eventually exploded a fuel tank in the bus. The riders ran out into to crowd to escape the bus, and they ran into the white mob that turned to violence. The Freedom Riders encountered multiple brawls, constant hateful words, and in the end imprisonment. The movement relied on a revolutionary radicalism view because they saw societal institutions as oppressive, traditional values as dishonest, and they wanted a better way of life for everyone. Furthermore, they never relied on violence, so the riders used an insurgent argument where they are confrontational but nonviolent. The movement never used violence as the answer; instead they depended on silence and peace in the face of hatred. By doing so, they forced the government to provide protection to the riders and their movement.

The Kennedy government had a more conservative view because they were satisfied with America and suspicious of change. The government was more retentive because they wanted to preserve the present as much as possible with only practical and necessary changes being made. Kennedy just wanted the violence and movement to stop, and he wanted the riders to get off the bus. It was a matter of embarrassment to the government that this was happening in America because the allies were appalled. The government decided to go to Alabama in order to get the freedom riders to on a plane to New Orleans. The government thought the issue was over, until they received word that another bus was coming to Alabama. At this point, the government felt forced to provide protection because the officers said if the freedom riders needed protection, then they will protect them. The next day, the Freedom Riders were given an escort through police cars and a helicopter. The Kennedy’s finally saw the Freedom Rider’s side when the riders held a meeting in a church, and they were surrounded by a white mob. Martin Luther King Jr. asked the attorney general to get help, so the governor signed a proclamation to get the attenders out safely.

The final and most violent part of the political argument resides with the opponents of the Freedom Riders. They had a revolutionary reaction because they were willing to do anything to go to the past. They’re argument depended on violence, brute force, and an overall praise for violence. Every action the mob took was violent, malicious, and focused on cruelty to the African American race and their supporters. The Freedom Riders didn’t want violence, but they accepted that violence could help prove the point of African American mistreatment.

In the end, people from all over the country joined in by plane, train, bus, and car to join the movement. 300 riders ended up in prison, and they became tougher and more prepared with every passing day. The ICC orders were given, which gave the Freedom Riders what they wanted- the removing of the segregation signs. The movement had finally created a change because of their peace and patience in trials and tragedies.