Hatred darkens life; love illumines it.

This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.

There are more Negroes in jail with me than there are on the voting rolls.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

I cannot make myself believe that God wanted me to hate. I'm tired of violence, I've seen too much of it. I've seen such hate on the faces of too many sheriffs in the South. And I'm not going to let my oppressor dictate to me what method I must use. Our oppressors have used violence. Our oppressors have used hatred. Our oppressors have used rifles and guns. I'm not going to stoop down to their level. I want to rise to a higher level. We have a power that can't be found in Molotov cocktails.

The non-violent resistor not only avoids external, physical violence, but he avoids internal violence of spirit. He not only refuses to shoot his opponent, but he refuses to hate him. And he stands with understanding, goodwill at all times.

We must use time creatively.