What Are The Similarities Between Thoreau And Martin Luther King

Jake Speed
Per. 6
3/3/23

In our country people are getting the wrong idea of civil disobedience when they revolt and it is important to know how civil disobedience works and how to participate properly. Henry Thoreau and Martin Luther King share broad similarities in which they both are passionate about speaking out against unjust laws in the nation. While Thoreau focuses more on the laws that he finds unfair to the majority of the country, King takes an approach that serves the african american communities in america justice. Today it is common for followings against government law to arise. More often than not people are following what they’re told to rather than making up their own decisions. In our country people are getting the wrong

With the rise of social media it is common for people to explain their beliefs on the internet rather than taking action. Thoreau was very passionate about his right to fight for what he believed in. He thought that for the country to operate efficiently there always needs to be an irritation in the system. In “Civil Disobedience” Thoreau writes, “All machines have their friction; and possibly this does enough good to counterbalance the evil (Thoreau, 4).” Basically Thoreau believes that our country works best with civil disobedience because it provides a “friction” in the system that can outweigh the unjust laws. The way Thoreau describes civil disobedience is people who are constantly using their power as citizens of the U.S. to speak out against what is unfair and to keep a balance between the people and the

In America it has become common that the most popular way to protest a law is to break it. This has caused many issues and it has made civil disobedience, disobedience like a child getting out of his time-out chair when he’s just going to be put back in it. Committee Chair Bennie Thompson made statements in front of The House of Representatives in relation to the January 6th insurrection. Thompson stated “January 6th and the lies that led to insurrection have put two and a half centuries of constitutional democracy at risk”. Thompson believes that these types of protest put our government system at risk. In the 60’s King’s work was to inspire people to stand up for what they believe is right, and in no way did he ever promote violence. King writes, “In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist,” (King, 16). King promotes the idea of civil action and shoots down any law breaking saying it would corrupt the country and ruin the law system all together. If the law is to be broken it must be in a meaningful way separate from the action of entirely breaking the law. Though King wasn’t a civil Disobedient himself his philosophy goes for any protest, the wrong idea of civil disobedience is built on the idea that if enough people break the law there becomes no more meaning or use to the law. Civil disobedience is a self explanatory activity and is done