Katie's Speech

  Rotary Speech Competition '07

Katie Jickling
 

THE FOUR-WAY TEST

Each one of us on this earth was born from the womb of a caring mother, all under the same sky, where the same sun makes its daily courses above us. We each come face to face with problems and situations we cannot control, feeling like lonely, forgotten ships tossed about on the waves of a stormy sea. Often enough, the world as we know it goes spinning out of control and into turmoil. We all must come to grips with our own set of challenges, stemming from personal, family, community and global issues. To tackle these problems we often need the help of others, but rarely does this support materialize.  Too many of us go through life concerned only for ourselves. We remain in our own personal states of oblivion, concerned with only our worries, our pleasures, and our lives while the rest of the world cries out to us, starving, fighting, and thirsty . And we turn our backs .

What the world needs now is a fresh approach and I believe the Rotary's Four-Way test could provide the toolbox we need for a better world. These four simple questions, if applied to life, break down our problems into manageable decisions and create a framework for change.

Consider, for example, the ever-turbulent social climate in our public schools. Untrue stories spread as quickly as wildfire and are hard to live down. Cliques always leave somebody out and picking on others is a natural outcome of these groups. How might this change?

In RUHS and every other school, there would be no prejudice, bullying, or gossip if we would let these questions guide us ."Is what I say the truth? Is it fair? . Does it build good will and friendship? . Is it beneficial to all concerned?" Imagine the change that would take place. Everyone's feelings would be respected and valued. Job applicants would be considered based solely on ability and potential, not money, gender, race, or social connection.

On the national level, the best qualified, most intelligent, and best-informed candidates would be elected for president and top government positions. They would run by promoting their beliefs without exaggeration or lies or bombarding other candidates with insults. Americans would be free to vote, seeing the truth about every potential leader.

The Four-Way Test, though, would have the largest visible impact worldwide. Imagine if you will, a world without war, where countries interact peacefully. A world where there is significantly less starvation and need because people consider, "Is it beneficial to all concerned?" before splurging at the mall or buying the latest fad. A world without racism or prejudice because equality and building friendships are at the forefront of every person's mind: A world where enmity and hate are overshadowed by love, friendship, and unity.

With the Four-Way test, this is the way the world could be. The War in Iraq would never have happened, the U.S. would be involved in peace talks so that all Iraqis and Americans would be benefited rather than harmed.  The same would be true with other wars, like the Palestinians and Israelis, or the civil war in Sudan. The universal priority would be to get along and to take care of one another both now and for the future. Even global warming could be averted, as countries, companies and officials would be willing to sacrifice economy for the common good.

Using the Four Way test all the time would result in an idyllic world. Our imaginations soar at the unlimited possibilities this four-question phrase opens up. Skeptics, however, looking at the world today, would argue that these lofty ideals are beyond our grasp: That we are a sinful people, full of imperfections. Still - I believe there is hope. We must keep reaching, choice-by-choice, knowing that every small kindness, every partial accomplishment is a victory for humanity. And the way we have to start is by examining our priorities and changing our objectives. The Four-Way test gives us a framework with which to begin.