Henry David Thoreau spoke out against the unjustness of war and slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for equal civil rights. Both were highly influential men who led the way in protest through civil disobedience. Through their words and actions, they left behind a legacy that would continue to inspire others for years to come. The driving force behind these words and actions was a strong moral code. Both men fought the fights they did due to a wholehearted belief that what they were doing was right, and important. This is especially apparent in Thoreau’s fight, as the institution he spoke out against didn’t even affect him. As a white man in America, slavery did him no harm, and there was no threat that it ever would. However, his moral compass led him to understand that all men were equal, regardless of their skin color, and that the enslavement of another human being was wrong. Martin Luther King Jr’s fight was different, in that it affected him on a personal level. As an African American, he was subjected to the same segregation and persecution that he spoke out against. Regardless, he never did what he did simply out of hopes of personal gain. He did what he did because he cared deeply not only for what was right, but also because he wanted to make sure others would not be put through the same trials and tribulations. …show more content…
Believing that to obey an unjust law was to condone unjust acts, and that right and wrong was more important than rules written by the government, both men chose to make their point through civil disobedience. By practicing civil disobedience they were able to take a stand, without carrying out violence, and, thus, causing more depravity. Truly, they believed, that reason was the only way to truly bring about good. Brute force only led to