Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most principled men to have ever stood for any cause. There were competing ideologies for the same cause going on at the very same time. King was a man of peace by action not idleness, but refused to sacrifice his Godly principles through violence. King’s belief structure of moderation through civil disobedience was like no other at the time of struggle for equal rights, and he was often chastised by from both sides of the cause for his stance. Martin Luther King Jr.’s adherence to his principles was crucial in the fight against racial injustice. His method of civil disobedience and his own brand of moderation were vital to him and the civil rights movement as a whole. Civil disobedience was the method
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When a person usually hears the word moderation disobedience is not the word that comes to mind. King stood in a unique position in his fight for civil rights. He knew that something needed to be done but violence was too far. He stated in his letter from the Birmingham jail that those supporting the civil rights movement “need to emulate neither the “do-nothings” of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist” (137). This is the very definition of King’s type of moderation. This type of moderation and tactic provided a release for the anger over inequality. King himself basically said, “let them participate in these nonviolent protest to give them a way to show their anger in ways other than through violence” (138). As a comparison to this approach of moderation black militant groups urged African Americans to “fight back” in order to attain their rights and Christian leaders called King, which never urged vengeance, an extremist (Bardes et al 141). King’s touch on moderation had an amazing impact on the civil rights movement as a whole. “The contrasting image of nonviolent African Americans and violent, hostile whites created strong public support for the civil rights movement” (Bardes et al 141). King’s Christian principles gave him a unique prospective and balance on moderation and
When a person usually hears the word moderation disobedience is not the word that comes to mind. King stood in a unique position in his fight for civil rights. He knew that something needed to be done but violence was too far. He stated in his letter from the Birmingham jail that those supporting the civil rights movement “need to emulate neither the “do-nothings” of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist” (137). This is the very definition of King’s type of moderation. This type of moderation and tactic provided a release for the anger over inequality. King himself basically said, “let them participate in these nonviolent protest to give them a way to show their anger in ways other than through violence” (138). As a comparison to this approach of moderation black militant groups urged African Americans to “fight back” in order to attain their rights and Christian leaders called King, which never urged vengeance, an extremist (Bardes et al 141). King’s touch on moderation had an amazing impact on the civil rights movement as a whole. “The contrasting image of nonviolent African Americans and violent, hostile whites created strong public support for the civil rights movement” (Bardes et al 141). King’s Christian principles gave him a unique prospective and balance on moderation and