Mlk_Nonviolent_Resistance

After being a victim of racial segregation Martin Luther King Jr. proposes the idea of dealing with the state of oppression by using nonviolent resistance. Martin Luther King Junior’s argument is presented by the three different ways oppressed people deal with oppression. The three ways are accepting oppression, using physical violence and using nonviolent resistance. Furthermore, King goes into detail with each of the three different types of solutions to oppression by giving examples of the effects. First, King argues about people who give in to oppression or accept it. He says, “To accept passively an unjust system is to cooperate with that system.” What he means by this statement is that the oppressed that accept oppression are just like the oppressor. If the oppressed do not stand up to their oppressor they are just like the oppressor. Instead the oppressed increase the power and arrogance of the oppressor leading the oppressor to think he/she is morally right. In contrast, violence is often used as way of dealing with oppression caused by racial justice. King said, “Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral.” What King is trying to imply was that violence led to nowhere if not bigger, more complex problems. King also implies that all violence does is cause negativity and that “future generations will be the recipients of a desolate night of bitterness.” The last way King mentioned people dealt with oppression was by nonviolent resistance. Nonviolent resistance was the act of “The nonviolent resister agrees with the person who acquiesces that one should not be physically aggressive towards his opponent; but he balances the equation by agreeing with the person of violence that evil must be resisted.” Basically what King is trying to imply is that nonviolent resistance is not giving in to oppression but is still standing up for what is right in order to gain respect from the oppressors. Also, to not use violence but to stand up and break unjust laws or submit to unjust practices while using nonviolent resistance. If breaking unjust laws leads to going to jail, go to jail peacefully. Furthermore, nonviolent resistance is an ultimate form of persuasion. When people use this way to deal with oppression they are persuading the oppressor to what is morally right in order to gain respect and justice. Therefore, the purpose of MLK Junior’s speech is to persuade the audience to not acquiescence or use violence to deal with oppression cause by racial segregation, but to use nonviolent resistance because it could “touch men where the law cannot reach them.” King’s argument on nonviolent resistance affected many different things. After applying nonviolence resistance to boycotts he realized how powerful it was. This caused it to become the force behind boycott movements and the method used by many to solve racial segregation problems.