Thoreau and Kings ideas
There are times throughout the history of the United States when its citizens have felt the need to revolt against the government. There were such cases during the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau, when there was unfair discrimination against the African American community and Americans refusing to pay poll taxes to support the Mexican War. They used civil disobedience to eventually get legislation to stop the injustice brought against them and their nation. Civil disobedience is defined as the refusal to obey civil laws or decrees, which usually takes the form of passive resistance. People practicing civil disobedience break a law because they consider the law unjust, and want to call attention to its injustice, hoping to bring about its withdrawal. Thoreau wrote "Civil Disobedience" in 1849 after spending a night in the Walden town jail for refusing to pay a poll tax that supported the Mexican War. He recommended passive resistance as a form of tension that could lead to reform of unjust laws practiced by the government. He stated civil disobedience as "
Many years after Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience," Dr. Martin Luther King took the same idea of passive resistance to protest the injustices brought upon the African American race in the United States. Dr. King, like Thoreau, was willing to suffer for his views, especially when he found himself faced with disciplinary laws denying civil rights to all citizens. King used peaceful sit-ins and rallies to unite the black community. Blacks were forced to sit on the back of busses, use separate water fountains, bathrooms, and schools. These non-violent acts of public speech eventually led to King's arrest; resembling Thoreau somewhat in his attitude towards laws that did not conform to moral justice. Thoreau and King shared the same ideas of unjust laws performed by the government. Both men also inspired reforms and the overturning of unjust laws and customs. Thoreau never had legions of followers like King, but he still made a long-term impact. He speaks directly to every issue, stating his own position and recommending the position he feels his audience, as reasonable and moral people, should accept. Thoreau's
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Approximate Word count = 756
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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