Debates are very popular in Chinese college especially in Wuhan University because our school is famous for its debate.In my former understanding, debate is just about eloquence and there's no relationships with the profound meanings in words.However, after I watched the movie The Great Debaters, I finally comprehend the real significances of debate and words.
This movie happens in Texas where still reserves the traditional social segregation in 1930s.Mel Tolson a teacher in Wiley College which is an unknown black college.He wants to use words to protest the racial discrimination, so he selects four students--Samantha Booke, Hamilton Burgess, Henry Lowe and little James Farmer to form a debate team.They have defeated many black debate teams and begin to invite white students to debate with them.Although they have encountered many rough periods, they also get the invitation from Harvard University and challenge the champion team of Harvard.
We always emphasize that actions speak louder than words and it's true that words sometimes seem to be useless and pale.Just as the four debaters in this movie, when they come across an atrocity that their compatriot is burned to death cruelly by white people, the only thing they can do is to hide in their car and don't dare to see it.However, it doesn't mean there is no sense in resisting by words.This movie has given a excellent answer to us about this question by the topic of the last debate: Civil disobedience is a moral weapon in the fight for justice.That's to say, when we face unfair treatment, we should choose actions or words to be our weapons.Obviously, the four debaters has chosen the latter one--words.Compared with the two Harvard student, little James and Samantha are more likely to debate for the topic rather than the debate itself.We all can remember the most exciting allegation that little James said in Harvard."St. Augustine said'An unjust law is no law at all'which means I have a right, even a duty, to resist with violence or civil disobedience?You should pray I choose the latter."These words not only shocked Negros but also most white people.And what surprised me most is the changes that debate bring to them.Eight years later, little James becomes a famous leader of the African American Civil Rights Movement and Samantha become a lawyer for Negros' civil rights.Debate has changed the debaters, the thoughts of people in that day and even the progress of the society.
In one word, the power of words don't lie in the current influences but in the enlightenment.
