THE CITIZEN
me.
PI' 'e .
I had hoped that the whit mod-
rate would unde stand th t th
pre nt ten ion in the uth i
nece ph of the transition
from an obnoxiou negative pea .
in hi h the • egro p ively ac
cepted his unju t pli ht. to a ub-
tantive and positive pe ceo in
hich all men will re pect the di -
nity and worth of human pe nality.
Actually. we who en in non-
violent direct ction are not the
cre tors of te ion. We merely
bring to th urfaee the hidden ten-
ion that i already alive. We brin
it out in the open. here it can be
een and dealt with. Like boil that
can never be cured 0 long it .
covered up but must be opened with
1 it u line to the natural
medicine of air and light. inju tiee
m t be expo ed. ith all th ten-
the population. not a :ingle . egro
i regi teredo Can any la . enacted
under uch circum tanee be con-
idered democratically structured?
Sometime a law i ju t on it face
and unju t in it pplication. For
in tance. I have been arre ted on
charge of paradin without a per
mit. . ow t ther . nothin wron
in having an ordinance which r -
quire a permit for a parade. But
uch an ordinance becomes unju t
when it i ed to maintain segre a
tion and to deny citizen' the Flr t
mendment privile e of peaceful
embly' and prote t.
I hope you are able to s ee the
di tinction I am trying to point out.
In no n do I advocate evading
or defying the law. ' would the
rabid gregationi t. That would
lead to anarchy.
On who break an unjust 1 w
must do '0 openly. levin ly nd
with a ;llingne' to accept th n
altv. I ubmit that n individual
who break a law th t c n i nc
tells him' unj t. and wh illin ly
ccept th penalty of impris n-