Similarities Between Civil Disobedience And Martin Luther King Jr

y, the word revolution is used to describe a sudden or rapid political movement. In “Letters from Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau, both authors call upon the reader to engage in a revolution, whether it be internal or external, to change undesirable aspects in society. Both authors address the matter of civil disobedience, or the refusal to comply with laws as a form of peaceful political protest, as a way to achieve social goals. I believe civil disobedience is an essential tool in shaping a government, and both King’s and Thoreau’s ideals on the subject can provide a great social justice platform. Civil disobedience can be traced back to Ancient Greece with the philosopher Socrates. He refused to worship the traditional gods, and, as a result of standing up for what he believed in, he was jailed and sentenced to death. Although he was a pioneer of sorts of civil disobedience, Socrates believed that rebellion is a tool that should only be used as a last resort. However, both King and Thoreau took the initial idea and shaped it into their own views on life. By initially discussing the topic of civil disobedience, Socrates helped these authors to formulate their approaches to social justice. Although they do not share the same views, King and Socrates are firm believers in civil disobedience. On the other hand, Thoreau’s ideology seems to stem from a quote from Socrates, “know thyself, know thy worth”, which implies that internal revelation is most important. Author Henry David Thoreau believes that the role of government is to protect its citizens rather than police them. His ideal government is one that is hands on in regards to social and economic issues, while remaining more lenient on other issues. He also believes that the government should serve the people, not vice versa. If the government should violate that model and do something not in the best interest of the people, he advises that the citizens revolt and make their voices heard. He argues that voting and traditional methods of change impact policy very little, and the best way to get results if by action based on principal. While I believe in Thoreau’s stances that the government’s job is to protect us, I don’t …show more content…
Both King and Thoreau protested against causes greater than themselves, whether it be racism or an unjust war. King was jailed, and depending on who one asks, also paid the ultimate price for his beliefs. If the situation was ever to arise, I would risk being punished in order to fight unreasonable laws. For example, access to women’s health care services, including abortion, is an important issue to me. If Roe v. Wade was ever to be repealed, I would not hesitate to join a nonviolent protest. I feel it is a public safety issue, as abortions wouldn’t stop if they were outlawed; safe abortions would stop, unnecessarily putting someone’s life at risk. Another issue I would risk my freedom, albeit temporarily, for is ending drone strikes in the Middle East. I believe that by continuing these drone strikes we as a nation are creating those who are in need of refuge, but refuse to help them. I feel risking the lives of many in order to take out a few trouble makers that don’t pose an imminent threat to our country is wrong, and I would join protests with the hopes that public opinion would sway the opinions of those in