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Similarities Between Civil Disobedience And Martin Luther King

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Martin Luther King Jr. once said “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws”. Civil disobedience is the moral responsibility of a person opposing the state when laws contradict superior ideas. Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. stand for civil disobedience in their works “From Civil Disobedience” and “A Letter From Birmingham Jail”. Civil disobedience has been proven to be justified throughout history and these works. The Declaration of Independence states that every individual has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Therefore, if any person feels as if a law, command, or demand is contesting Thomas Jefferson’s word, it is a civil right to act against it nonviolently. “ In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: 1) collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive; 2) negotiation; 3) self-purification; and 4) direct action (King).” The quote states that there are four steps to civilly protest or campaign without being violent or unjust. …show more content…

Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, and David Thoreau are a few of the many activists that have protested to bring about change. “You may well ask, “Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches, etc.? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” You are exactly right in your call for negotiation. Indeed, this is the purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue (King).” Negotiation is always the first option; that is until the state refuses agreement and the people apply direct

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