Martin Luther King is one of the most significant historical figures. He earned this title because he was a lawyer and actively promoted the civil rights movement of the black population of the United States of America. With his works, he made a significant contribution to this area and contributed to the significant promotion of the freedoms of colored people. One of the most striking speeches of this public figure was “Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience.” The main point that King made is the evidence that disobedience is the driver of the law, the value of freedom and the principles of nonviolence.
A particularly valuable point was his explanation of the student movement that was taking place in America at that time. Henceforth, King said that “if you are hit do not hit back, if you are cursed do not curse back” (King, n.d., p. 3). This statement shows that young people were not supporters of violence and proclaiming nonviolent actions by others. Even if they met in physical violence, they never responded to it and did not carry weapons. This is the main value of this movement and was the driver for the further strengthening of this movement in the country.
Another important part of Martin Luther King’s speech is the proclamation that opposition from society is a positive part. Thus, the public figure stated that “civil disobedience is not lawlessness but instead a higher form of lawfulness” (Myers, 2019, para. 1). Thus, the public figure emphasized that if people oppose the government, it means that the country has significant problems that require solutions. That is, various social movements emphasize inequality and injustice. Moreover, King noted that “history reveals to us that those who oppose the movement of freedom are those that are in privileged positions who seldom give up their privileges without strong resistance” (King, n.d., p. 1). Thus, King also pays attention to the excessive power of privileged words of society that oppose the freedom of other classes.
The last important point in Martin Luther King’s speech was the proclamation of the need to grant people freedom. By this aspect, he meant not only the value of civil freedom and freedom of choice but also academic freedom. Hence, he stressed that people “will be able to emerge from the bleak and desolate midnight of man’s inhumanity to man into the bright and glittering daybreak of freedom and justice” (King, n.d., p. 8). Moreover, King emphasized that the intentions and goals of the movement participants should be as pure as and their end. The best human motives are the result of love, which is reflected in the love for oneself and one’s neighbor. Thus, social and political movements are concerned about the welfare of public life, the betterment of society itself, and people’s future lives.
In conclusion, the speech “Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience” became one of the most significant parts in the history of the struggle for equality of people and their civil rights. Martin Luther King helped to rethink the concepts of youth movements and opened people’s understanding of the true nature of these activities. He noted their non-violent base, the desire to transform society for the better and the purest and kindest intentions. In addition, King emphasized that this kind of government confrontation is not lawlessness but only a consequence of the emergence of pitfalls in the political, social and civil systems.
References
King, M.L. (n.d.). Love, law, and civil disobedience. Big Fat Genius. Web.
Myers, P.C. (2019). The limits and dangers of civil disobedience: The case of Martin Luther King, Jr. The Heritage Foundation. Web.