Henry David Thoreau was one of the most courageous men who had ever walked the planet. While he was alive, he spoke against the grave abuses of the American government, especially when it came to the collection of taxes and the use of the same against projects and schemes that ordinary American citizens considered as inappropriate. As a result, Thoreau embarked on his own version of civil disobedience, and he chose not to pay his taxes. Naturally, he was promptly arrested, but it was discovered later on that it was an illegal move by the law enforcement officers because the legislation clearly stated that non-payment of taxes did not automatically lead to an apprehension. After his release, Thoreau wrote the famous “Civil Disobedience” essay that inspired great leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. to speak against all forms of tyranny. These heroes and their ideas comes to mind in a time when America is once again gripped by the forces of inequality and the mob mentality that calls for violent reprisals. Old wounds have been opened up as the direct result of the Ferguson riots; however, violence is never an option, and for desperate people, the best course of action is civil disobedience.
The Context
On August 9, 2014, an African-American teenager, an 18-year old unarmed young man was shot dead. The witnesses interviewed on the said crime scene of Ferguson, Missouri, refuted the claims made by the police officers who had filed a report of the shooting death incident. They testified that the young man raised his arms to indicate that he was voluntarily surrendering to the policemen who had apprehended him. Nonetheless, this unarmed teenager was shot dead, and to add insult to injury, his body was not removed from the street until four hours later. There was no violence that ensued; in fact, there was a peaceful vigil that occurred in a suburb in St. Louis. Be that as it may, violence erupted, and there was a confrontation between police officers in riot gear and the ordinary citizens who attended the mentioned protest.
There were conflicting statements with regard to the perpetrators of the above-named riots and looting. On one hand, the civilians asserted that the people participating in the vigil were non-aggressors. They claimed that the policemen went into the stated area in order to provoke the civil population. The version that came from the other side of the fence focuses on the fact of the unruly behavior of the people that ended up in a violent confrontation with law enforcement officers. Moreover, such a conduct caused the looting of the nearby business establishments by the so-called peaceful protesters.
There were those who argued that it did not matter who instigated the said riots and looting because in their perspective, the mob's outburst of violence was a necessary evil in order to bring upon meaningful and long-lasting change in an area that suffered from the impact of inequality. Feedback from the citizens of Ferguson echoed the resentment caused by indifference. They said that the government and concerned agencies took a long time to react and intervene into the mentioned above case. As a result, many people were angry because of the way officials responded to the brutal and inhumane slaying of Michael Brown.
The Model of Martin Luther King
Those who are espousing violent methods aim to express frustration and to force the government to take notice that they are walking onto a dangerous path that no one had dared tread before. In fact, Malcolm X had the same sentiment. He was willing to take up arms in order to achieve his treasured goals. It seems like this is a practical approach from the point of view of those who are fed up and those who are tired of listening to promises of integration and equality. Nevertheless, at the end, they become victims of an oppressive system.
It is good to know that American citizens need not go through the terrible process of protesting against injustices and neglect because Martin Luther King has paved the way when it comes to non-violent protests. King suffered the indignity of being placed behind bars. He knew that it was coming because he staged several successful protest rallies regarding issues concerning the Civil Rights Movement. In one of the instances, MLK was arrested due to his refusal to conform to the status quo. When he was in prison, he started writing a letter on April 16, 1963. He was released several days after he had finished it. Due to his perseverance and leadership, the letter has become a symbol of hope for those who are no longer able to trust their own government.
In the letter that he wrote while he was in solitary confinement, King demonstrated the capability to confront wickedness, but this expression was never accompanied by violence. He used his intellect and his zeal to express an idea that his opponents could not bear to ignore. It is, therefore, a good idea to combine King’s intellectual response to the problem and Thoreau's desire to express the frustration through civil disobedience.
It is important to read the mentioned letter and to understand the circumstances surrounding his arrest. Moreover, it is imperative to read between the lines and realize that Martin Luther King was not just writing a letter. In fact, it was just one of the facets of his strategy. In other words, the whole expression of his disgust against the violence created by white people against African Americans was achieved through his arrest and then, the letter that he wrote. When he went to jail, the nation started to take notice of him. Furthermore, he allowed his opponents to gloat and to expand their biased judgments against them. However, when King was already in prison, the creation of the letter in a calm and even-handed fashion strengthened the message that he wanted to convey to those who were against him. He wanted them to understand that they were not dealing with a violent and irrational man because there had never been an aggressive person. The eloquent and intelligent manner the Birmingham letter was composed in, supported the claim.
The successful struggle of King against white oppressors and the positive impact of the Civil Rights Movement through the use of the non-violent means have attested to the effectiveness and wisdom of non-violent protests. Lessons received from the experiences of both Martin Luther King and Thoreau have revealed that people must have two things in order to accomplish the same type of impact on the national psyche. First, there must be genuine and unfettered passion to believe and work hard for eradication of inequality and other unlawful practices. Second, there is a necessity to create the best communication strategies in order to get the message across. Although it is understandable why leaders in the past subscribed to the use of violence for the purpose of creating an effect, it has never been the best option. It causes a chain-reaction of events that leads to more complicated problems. The most important factor to consider is the fact that it is easier to use violence to get the attention of national leaders, however, that violence creates fear and uncertainty among the people.

About the author: Ri Willson works on the company which is known for providing the best academic papers in the business of academic writing. They have been doing custom paper writing for years and years now, so their writing skills are considered to be extremely proficient https://superbessay.com/buy-movie-review-essay/