Read the excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream” speech. In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." King uses the "check” and "promissory note” metaphors to
Answer
A
teach a lesson about financial responsibility.
B
illustrate the idea of demanding what one is due.
C
suggest ways to pursue the American dream.
D
provide information about American economics.
Explanation
King compares the promises of equality in the founding documents to a promissory note and says the nation has given Black Americans a “bad check.” The metaphor suggests that America has failed to deliver rights it promised, so people are demanding what they are owed. It is not mainly a lesson about economics or personal financial responsibility.
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