Summary Of Three Ways Of Meeting Oppression

In Martin Luther Kings “Three Ways of Meeting Oppression” speech argues that acquiescence, physical violence, and non-violent resistance are the three routes that people generally take to deal with oppression. King emphasizes acquiescence and physical violence as being wrong. He explains how acquiescence is when oppressed people “adjust themselves to oppression, and thereby become conditioned to it.” (lines 3-4), and how its detrimental to accept circumstances of oppression because it displays cooperation. Cooperating only leaves the oppressors arrogant and contempt (line 25). Next, King discusses the route of physical violence to deal with oppression, saying how it only brings temporary satisfaction. He claims that “Violence as a way