I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and… — Martin Luther King, Jr.

I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.

Letter from Birmingham Jail · 1963
★ 5.5
Provenance
Current citation
King, Martin Luther, Jr. "Letter from a Birmingham City Jail (1963)." A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches, edited by James M. Washington. HarperOne, 2003.
Original citation
King, Martin Luther, Jr. "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." 16 Apr. 1963.