Three Ways of Oppression

Three ways of Oppression In this essay, “The Ways of Meeting Oppression,” Martin Luther King Jr. was speaking about three kinds of oppression and how people deal with their oppression. The first acquiescence, which means that the oppressed resign themselves to their doom. When this happens the oppressed person gets accustomed to their oppression and they never try to get out and become accustomed to it. He criticizes the people who use this first method. The second method talks about physical violence and corroding hate. This only creates temporary results and creates more complicated problems. The violence is a way of achieving racial justice it is both impractical and immoral. So it being impractical the more violence the more destruction. Like Mr. King mentions, “Violence is immoral because violence thrives on hatred rather than love.” It seeks to humiliate the other person than to understand destroying a relationship. The third way open to oppressed people in their quest for freedom of oppression is nonviolent resistance. Nonviolent resistance makes this person not run away from there problems and stand up for there rights. This is the method that must guide the actions of all people. By using nonviolent resistance the oppressed can enlist all men of good will in this struggle for equality. In other words, equality will only work if all the pieces are working together like nonviolence, community involvement and barriers being dropped about how we feel about one another. I feel after reading this powerful essay. It had me thinking that a very violent and hatred person can change there oppressing ways. Also, oppressed people can stand up for there rights and understand that violence will not solve there problems.