Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes about Violence

It's not the violence of the few that scares me, it's the silence of the many

It's not the violence of the few that scares me, it's the silence of the many

Silence, Scare, Violence

Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hate, Violence, Power Of Love

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2010). “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story”, p.97, Beacon Press

Violence brings only temporary victories; violence, by creating many more social problems than it solves, never brings permanent peace.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Creating, Victory, Violence

Martin Luther King Jr. (1963). “Strength to Love”

What you get with violence can be maintained only with violence

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Violence

Violence multiplies violence.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Violence

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2012). “A Gift of Love: Sermons from Strength to Love and Other Preachings”, p.67, Beacon Press

Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Peace, Civilization, Violence

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2013). “The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr.: "I Have a Dream" and Other Great Writings”, p.115, Beacon Press

I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed, without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today – my own government.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Government, Voice, Violence

Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence, Delivered 4 April 1967, Riverside Church, New York City

Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Inspirational, Violence, Problem

Nobel Prize for Peace Acceptance Speech and Lecture, delivered 10 December 2009, Oslo City Hall, Oslo, Norway

The United States is the largest exporter of violence in the world

Martin Luther King, Jr.

United States, World, Violence

Violence is anything that denies human integrity, and leads to hopelessness and helplessness.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Integrity, Violence, Hopelessness

Violence is not the way.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Inspirational, Way, Violence

Sermon at Temple Israel of Hollywood, delivered 26 February 1965

Violence often brings about momentary results.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Inspirational, Violence, Results

Martin Luther King (Jr.) (1968). “I Have a Dream: The Quotations of Martin Luther King, Jr”

Violence is not only impractical but immoral.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Violence, Immoral

I'm concerned about justice. I'm concerned about brotherhood. I'm concerned about truth. And when one is concerned about these, he can never advocate violence.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Justice, Brotherhood, Violence

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2013). “The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr.: "I Have a Dream" and Other Great Writings”, p.204, Beacon Press

I would suffer all the humiliation, all the torture, the absolute ostracism and even death, to prevent violence

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Suffering, Ostracism, Violence

Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hate, Violence, Destruction

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2012). “A Gift of Love: Sermons from Strength to Love and Other Preachings”, p.67, Beacon Press

The modern choice is between non-violence or non-existence.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Choices, Violence, Modern

Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. It is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Justice, Way, Violence

Martin Luther King (Jr.), Alex Ayres (1993). “The Wisdom of Martin Luther King, Jr”, Plume