Question

read the excerpt from a letter martin luther king, jr. wrote while imprisoned in birmingham jail in 1963. one who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. based on his behavior in \civil disobedience,\ how would thoreau most likely feel about king’s statement? he would believe that his reasons and king’s reasons for protest were completely unrelated. he would disagree with king’s belief that one must accept the penalty for political protest. he would believe that king did not understand the nature of political protest. he would agree with king that one should engage in political protest peacefully.

Explanation:

Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience advocates for nonviolent, open resistance to unjust laws, and he willingly accepted imprisonment for refusing to pay taxes in protest of slavery and the Mexican-American War. This aligns with King's call for open, loving acceptance of penalties for breaking unjust laws, meaning Thoreau would agree with the peaceful protest framework King outlines. The other options are incorrect: their protest reasons were both rooted in opposing injustice, Thoreau accepted penalties himself, and King's views mirror Thoreau's understanding of protest.

Answer:

He would agree with King that one should engage in political protest peacefully.