"The Way It Is" Constructed Response
Activity
"Under
a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is
also a prison."
~ Henry David Thoreau ( 1817 - 1862 )
"Laws alone can not secure freedom of
expression; in order that every man present his views without penalty there
must be spirit of tolerance in the entire population."
~ Albert Einstein ( 1879 - 1955 )
"It may be true that the law cannot
make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's
pretty important."
~ Martin Luther
King Jr. ( 1929-1968 )
"...Well
they passed a law in '64 To give those who ain't got a little more
But it only goes so far Because the law don't change another's mind..."
~ Bruce Hornsby - The Way It Is ©1986
1) Explain the meaning of the top quote.
2) What does the term civil disobedience
mean? Why was this type of protest so powerful and effective?
3) The song, "The Way It Is" and
the documents above refer to the importance and impact of laws? Compare the
views expressed in each source. Are they similar or different? Be sure to cite
specific language and lyrics from each in your explanation.
4) Write
meaningful sentences about the Civil Rights Movement using each of the
following concept words; change, choice, justice, power
and empathy.