By Emma Cummins
Staff Writer
On Monday, we celebrated the birthday of one of the champions of civil liberty, Martin Luther King Jr. His message, one of peace, remains relevant, especially in the last year, and it will remain relevant in the years to come. Whether living in Coppell, New York or any city in America we must all remain vigilant when nationwide issues are at hand.
2014 brought many controversies involving race within our country. Michael Brown and Eric Garner are just two of the people who have plastered the headlines of every media source and who have been regarded by many as either heroic martyrs of racial injustice or criminals.
The recent events draw many similarities and many differences to the civil rights movement. However, the protesters are forgetting one thing: King preached nonviolent protest in response to the violence and cruelty blacks were being exposed to, which is far from what is happening in New York and Ferguson.
The 1950s bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala. is one example of a peaceful protest sparked by Rosa Parks. This movement spanned the course of a year and demonstrated how effective King was as a leader. The choice to make a stand peacefully is one that galvanized the civil rights movement and attained equality.
The protests in Ferguson and New York stand as a stark contrast to the 1955 boycott story. The decision to not indict Officer Wilson in Ferguson brought many protests.
“Cars were smashed, stores looted, and at least a dozen buildings were set on fire, as a heavy police presence tried to establish order. Due to safety concerns including sporadic gunfire, firefighters were unable to respond quickly, and a number of businesses burned to the ground,” The Atlantic said.
The protests in New York have remained peaceful to a point with tens of thousands gathered at Greenwich square to protest. Despite some peaceful protest, violence has remained prevalent.
“Two police saw a man attempting to throw a garbage can onto the roadway and attempted to make an arrest. The officers were then reportedly assaulted, kicked in the face and head by numerous other protesters, according to authorities,” CBS News said.
Many distinctions can be found, but the most important difference which separates the fighters for equality now and then, are the means in which they are accomplished. Violence has now become acceptable in the supposed fight for equality and an end to police brutality, some say. Violence will only aggravate the problem.
We can come to but one conclusion; in order to learn from the wisdom of Martin Luther King Jr. and his lessons, the people of America must learn to voice their problems in a peaceful way.
Many have compared Ferguson’s motivations to the motivations of those commendable people who called for equality back in 1960.
While some remain nonviolent and hope to gain their goals through peaceful means, many protesters and media stars, such as Al Sharpton, have resorted to less justifiable means to accomplish their goals.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”
Whether or not police brutality, racism, or discrimination are major problems in America, we must not forget how to solve nationwide problems, which is why King’s message has lasted so long. Equality can be achieved by peaceful men and women, not thugs.
