Peaceful Resistance Martin Luther King

Improved Essays
Throughout this complex world, there are many different issues that are still dealt with today. As human beings, we understand the basic fact that violence only leads to more violence, so if one wants to make productive changes, one must do it peacefully. Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society because it is done out of love, sacrifice, and strives to improve the system. Through peaceful resistance, the ability to seek change will become more possible for the nation to come together as a harmonious community. When motivated into seeking change, only peaceful resistance can ensure this change by utilizing it in a civil manner. Peaceful protest is done through the acts of love instead of hatred. In his letter, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. utilizes the biblical phrase "love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" in order to acknowledge his demand for change against the persecutors can only be done with love. Actions demonstrated with love will help to calmly bring out the message and to ensure the public …show more content…
Protesters can calmly spread the issue that is being ignored by the government and its people. Observers can see the protesters’ point of view and contemplate their views on the topic being protested. In the past few years, conflicts between law enforcement and African Americans have been intensely publicized, especially through social media. Nonviolent protests went on throughout the United States, while on social media, supporters help by spreading the hashtag “Black Lives Matter” in order to help spread the issue throughout the world and try to demolish it. Throughout it all, peaceful protests are utilized by spreading the issue throughout the nation and to getting the government and the people to

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Analysis of Letter From a Birmingham Jail In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. was asked to go to Birmingham to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program and was arrested as a result of this protest. A letter from several clergymen arrived to him during his incarceration criticizing his work as untimely and unwise. Martin Luther King responded to their critique in a “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and explained the necessity of his presence. He explains that his actions were thoroughly planned out.…

    • 855 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Martin Luther King’s letter from the Birmingham jail was a detailed letter explaining the motives and emotion behind the non-violent protests that took place in the South. As a result of these protests, a few white religious leaders criticized the actions of Dr. King and those encouraging the non-violent campaigns. The purpose of this letter was to respond to criticism made by these leaders. In the letter Dr. King expounded on four of the leaders’ comments. He responded to the comments regarding the untimeliness of the campaigns, the willingness of the campaigners to break laws, the allegation that the campaigns triggered violence, and the description of the campaigns as extreme.…

    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    From the informal rules that governed nomadic and pastoral tribes' behavior to the constitutions that govern today's nations, humans have imposed guidelines on their interpersonal interactions. As cities developed and civilizations rose, people used these guidelines to consolidate their societies and prevent widespread chaos. However, breaking these rules had consequences. For example, under the 1700s BCE Code of Hammurabi, if a man killed another man - of equal social status - he would have his hands cut off. In a modern context, if a person commits a felony or a severe crime, they face prolonged imprisonment and a fee at best, and euthanasia or life imprisonment at worst.…

    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On April 12, 1963, a group of clergymen trivialized the demonstrations held by some Negro citizens as “unwise” and “untimely”. The clergymen dismissed that such actions would incite only violence and hate to build up in the community. Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, the leader of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, articulates that their convictions are wrong. In his response letter, King argues that nonviolent resistance promotes peace, and by using many rhetorical devices but mainly allusions and repetition and imagery, he eloquently justifies that his demonstrations advance camaraderie in the community and a lack of them leads to disparity.…

    • 458 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    4) Martin Luther King explained the term of his action called “Civil disobedience”. And it is nothing new. As reference the Bible, he gives the example of the refusal of some Jews to listen the law of Nebuchadnezzar which was unconfirmed to the religious and ethical law. In the same way that some Christians refused to listen to the unjust law to the Roman empire. This civil disobedience leads to the creation of academy freedom a degree due to the civil disobedience of Socrates.…

    • 1204 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The speeches and writings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., are among the most powerful and persuasive work in history. One notable example is the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” King’s skillful use of appeal to emotion, authority, and logic effectively put forward his ethnics and ideals. By adopting words as his weapons, he proves that language is often more effective than that of violence in bringing about positive change. He brilliantly explains the reasons for his nonviolent protest with restraint and commitment.…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, King explores and rejects the different issues presented as a public statement of concern, issued by religious leaders in the South. King talks about his decision of nonviolence in his movement against racial segregation and addresses the problems people were making everyday in respect to the end of segregation. He discusses his personal experience dealing with racial segregation and his reason to promote change. King also discussed the injustice law seemed to reinforce in his society. “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crises and establish such creative tension that a community that has consistently refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.”…

    • 359 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In a just society there is no need to break any social rules or regulations, but once the government and society becomes corrupted then change needs to occur. As individual people our voices are weak and insignificant, but once we stand together as one then chance has a much higher chance of occurring. Peaceful resistance positively impacts a free society because the exercised freedom of some individuals can infringe on the freedoms of others, making it the duty of the citizens to flag the issue through peaceful resistance. Rosa Parks was a brave woman, knowing the consequences she still waves in her pool known as society by refusing to get up from a seat. Something that might seem trivial to us now was hugely symbolic back then, making her an icon of her time.…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Does peaceful resistance to laws positively or negatively impact a free society? I believe a good example for this topic is “Letter from a Birmingham Jail- Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.” Mr. King believed in a peaceful and non-violent movement to change the wrongs of society. This is an issue where many people hold differing opinions.…

    • 559 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr. was an African American that lived and fought through racial oppression. He was one of the most well known leaders of nonviolent protests. Being a minority trying to persuade the privilege that it’s time for change is a tough job. In King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” has many components that are crucial to catching the audience attention and proving a point. In this letter Martin Luther King Jr. was responding back to rude comments that clergymen made about him and the protesting.…

    • 1284 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In free societies, one way in which people can demonstrate their thoughts and concerns to the government is through peaceful protest. Throughout history this has been a way to make changes to unjust laws in ways that positively impact a free society. In our United States history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an active civil rights leader who preached reform via peaceful protest. As he wrote in “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” This signifies that it is not only important to resist unjust laws, it is necessary.…

    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A man’s hope for a change doesn’t grow weary: a change never comes about without a fight, a fight that most times involves violence, either a direct or an indirect violence. One such man, a pastor, a leader of the southern Christian leadership conference, and an author Martin Luther King Jr , wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” written on April 12, 1963 in the Birmingham jail. He claim against the injustice towards the black community in the United States, especially in the southern part and sets up an elite case for equality for all races using biblical, philosophical, and political references. King uses emotional appeals, ethical appeals, and logical appeals to persuade his hostile ministers from Birmingham throughout his letter, which is effective because it 's convincing to his comrades and the United States as a whole.…

    • 1197 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his Letter from Birmingham Jail, argued to his equality supporting peers that non-violent and instigative protests, while not as dignified as court battles, were fundamentally more potent and provocative. King successfully produced an appealing and effective message by integrating pathos and logos, utilizing faith based ethos, suitable literary devices, and a unique subtle tone that allowed him to maintain even-tempered and reasonable appeal in subject he was passionate and infuriated about. King wins the credibility of his peers by, firstly establishing they are his peers. He reminds them of his position as a reverend by citing the Alabama clergymen as “fellow clergymen”. Referring to his position as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and his invitation not Birmingham, he further established credibility by highlighting he is not merely a reverend creating social upheaval but a revered civic and religious leader whose presence is desired by the people of the city.…

    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Peaceful resistance is defined as making a statement without any violent interactions. Violence just tells people what they already assume, that the resistance is not something worth fighting for. There is a view on violence that suggests it is used by people who are willing to hurt anybody for anything. The Law views violence with negativity and several repercussions. Peaceful resistance, however, do not contain any violence whatsoever.…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Robert O’Connor Concord High School New Hampshire Like many things in life, civil disobedience, is all a matter of perspective. Whether it be the Great Muhammad Ali peacefully opposing his selection for the draft or Rosa Parks literally sitting down instead of standing up for what is right on a bus ride home, each and every case of civil disobedience has its ups and downs. Though, when talking about basic human rights, there is no room to be neutral, and that is why peaceful resistance to laws most certainly impacts a society positively. From an optimistic perspective, everything will be alright in the end. Despite Ali’s…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays