My earliest recollections of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are of him leading non-violent, constitutional protests in the 1960s. I was a news consumer from a young age, and Dr. King was on my black-and-white television screen every night, leading throngs of respectfully dressed, well-behaved protesters seeking equal rights in our nation.
Remembering Sit‑Ins and Birmingham Hoses
Many questions swirled in my mind as I sought to understand why high-pressure hoses were used to spray water on the nicely dressed, well-behaved people Dr. King was leading in Birmingham. Was their cause just? Yes, indeed, sitting at a lunch counter is not a crime. Neither is the desire to have a soda and a hamburger in peace. No one was asking for a free lunch. They were simply asking for equal treatment under the law.
As time went on, my young mind began to understand that Dr. King and his brave followers wanted the same civil rights as I had. I never understood why the American civics and history lessons in school taught the evils of slavery and social discrimination, but didn’t include why this minority group was still denied civil rights in the 1960s. After all, a Civil War had been fought one hundred years earlier. Shouldn’t this have been sorted out by now?
MLK Nobel Peace Prize Quote on Nonviolence
Dr. King wrote the following when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize:
“…profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time— the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression.”
Comparing MLK’s Tactics to Modern Protests
Now there’s a thought for today’s protestors, many of whom did not live in Dr. King’s time. While some recent protests have remained nonviolent, others have devolved into property destruction and confrontations. How much more today would their voices be heard without the screaming rhetoric, the ransacked stores, smashed vehicles, broken glass, and disregard for officers of the law and law-abiding citizens?
Martin Luther King, Jr. had a just cause, a constitutional cause, a lawful cause, and sought to overcome without resorting to violence and oppression. Modern protestors would do well to emulate his example.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship.🇺🇸
