Throughout the span of human existence, there have been defining moments in our history when the resistance and zealous disobedience of an oppressed population led to a society transformed. Slavery, oppression and the forced subjugation of minorities have been hidden truths in our tiny history. The fact that an ethnocentric elite always manages to oppress the denigrated majority is a truth that is not easy to ignore. King argues that the virtue of liberty is not “voluntarily given by the oppressor; this must be demanded by the oppressed. Citizens are obliged to fight for their fundamental rights; Widener's “Tank Man,” Thoreau's “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” and the Arab Spring validate King's assertion that freedom is a virtue that can only be acquired through resistance and insubordination. Jeff Widener's photograph, "Tank Man," represents the strength of an individual and the ability of a single courageous act to propel an already anxious population into revolution. Widener emphasizes the individual behind the resistance of a tyrannical government. The “Tank Man” and his ability to stop the progress of a larger-than-life entity encourages the belief that average men are capable of starting revolutions. Widener's illustration explains that a man's choice of civil disobedience led to the revolution that became the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the struggle to break free from an autocratic government. The image of an average man, peacefully halting the progress of his oppressive government, illustrates King's argument that the oppressed must demand their freedom. It was the “Tank Man”’s simple and placid, yet powerful, act of defiance that inspired the entire country to rise up. One man's desire for freedom created a middle of paper...democratic institutions", the Middle East's long-awaited freedom is the direct effect of the people's demand for freedom (Myre, NPR). In a oppressive government, the only way to get freedom is to demand it. A tyrannical government maintains its power through fear and repression of basic rights, like freedom. Only by confronting autocratic governments can freedom be offered to the population. The above illustrates that the fight for individual rights and freedoms is the motivation that pushes citizens to follow the path of civil disobedience. Righteous anger is the fuel of the resistance movement, and the anger of an oppressed population can spark the revolution of a century. Works Cited Myre, Greg. “The hopeful Arab Spring turns into a turbulent Arab Summer.” NPR. NPR, July 3, 2013.Web. December 17. 2013.