Pope Francis in the US

        Pope Francis commented on the greatness of historical figures. These people were Abraham Lincoln, for defending liberty during the Civil War, Martin Luther King Jr., for fostering rights for Americans of all races, Dorothy Day, for founding the Catholic Worker Movement, and Thomas Merton, for advocating for interfaith dialogue. I do agree with these four persons being considered "great", but Day and Merton probably not in the same sense as Alexander the Great. Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. paved way for future generations. Lincoln defended our nation's liberty during a time when Americans fought their own brethren, and King advocated for a whole race of people and changed the livelihood of all races in America.

        If I were to make a speech about great historical individuals who shaped the United States into what it is now, I would include Matin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and Neil Armstrong. Just as the pope did, I choose to include King, due to his advocating for racial equality and influence on future american life, and Lincoln, due to his advocating for american liberty and advocation for unity. I also choose to include Neil Armstrong due to his influence in american livelihood, and space travel world-wide. Much of the United States's livelihood is centered around space travel, most especially NASA.