Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was seen sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar because a higher moral law was involved. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks, before submitting to certain unjust laws of the Roman empire.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the importance of civil disobedience in the face of unjust laws.
Martin Luther King, Jr. underscores the historical significance of civil disobedience as a noble act of resistance against unjust authority. He references biblical figures and early Christians who chose to uphold a higher moral law over obedience to oppressive rulers, emphasizing that true justice requires courage and a willingness to face suffering for the sake of righteousness.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech advocating for social justice reforms.
This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love.
Music is the best consolation for a despaired man
We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love.
We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.
Israel... is one of the great outpost of democracy in the world
One of the greatest casualties of the war in Vietnam is the Great Society... shot down on the battlefield of Vietnam.
My friend, you had horses, and deed of arms, and the free fields; but she, being born in the body of a maid, had a spirit and courage at least the match of yours. Yet she was doomed to wait upon an old man, whom she loved as a father, and watch him falling into a mean dishonoured dotage; and her part seemed to her more ignoble than that of the staff he leaned on. -Gandalf to Eomer, of Eowyn
Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.
It hurts my head, but it's fine because it's something I do every day. You can't avoid the gymnastics questions.
Many Tibetans sacrifice their lives.
If you don't stand your ground, then all that happens is people push you backwards.
Oh please," said Zacharias Smith, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. "I don't think Expelliarmus is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?" "I've used it against him," Harry said quietly. "It saved my life last June.
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