Conforming To The Book People, By Martin Luther King

Hello Reader. Congratulations on surviving the bombing in the city. I am a member of the Book People, a group of intellectuals who carry books in our minds to gain and preserve knowledge. There are times when you will want or need to go against what one individual or group believes. This manual will help you understand when to rebel, when to conform, and the consequences of these choices. While these are tricky issues to understand at first, this manual will guide you towards what a society should learn and understand, just as we Book People have. Individuals should conform to the law when it supports the common good of the people, but rebel against the law when it infringes on basic human rights.
Conformity leads to a sense of powerlessness,

Martin Luther King Jr., an activist and leader of the African American Civil Rights Movement wrote the “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, which defends the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism. King explains that there are two types of laws and one of them advocates for when to obey laws as he states, “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law…” (King). A just law means that the law is fair and reasonable. It helps the good of the people because it doesn’t harm anybody and follows the rules of right conduct. Henry David Thoreau, a philosopher, wrote the essay “Civil Disobedience”. In this essay, he argues that individuals shouldn’t permit governments to overrule or affect their conscience, and the individuals are responsible for stopping the injustice in the government. Thoreau decided that when most of the people agree on a law, they are able to have the power and explains, “After all… when the power is once in the hands, majority are permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule…” (Thoreau). The people have the power to rule the government and are able to make laws that benefit the majority. If the people in a society have power to control the laws in a society and have laws that benefit them, then they should conform to the law. Likewise, one should rebel if a law infringes on basic human rights.

King expounds about using civil disobedience as an effective and ethical method of rebellion and wrote, “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue” (King). King redundantly mentions how nonviolent direct action, like civil disobedience, makes it possible to bring an issue forward without being ignored. Nonviolent direct action makes sure no one gets hurt and it is a moral way to create a potent rebellion. On the contrary, convincing the deviants of the expectations and urging them to comply is an effective method of conformity. Beatty arrived at Montag’s home to talk about burning books and expounds “‘At least once in his career, every fireman gets an itch… I’ve had to read a few in my time, to know what I was about, and books say nothing! Nothing you can teach or believe”’ (59). Beatty tried to connect with Montag’s interest with books and repeatedly mentioned how books are useless. He tried to get rid of Montag’s fallacies using his own experience with books. Beatty attempted to change Montag’s view on books and make him conform to the law. A method of believing your opinions and morals is a more ethical way of rebellion. “Self-Reliance”, written by Emerson, a