Comments and discussion

When you analyze “The Ballot or the Bullet” by Malcolm X you should also consider commenting on and discussing statements that are particularly interesting or controversial. Given that “The Ballot or the Bullet” is, for the most part, provocative and controversial, there are numerous claims the speaker makes that you can choose to pay more attention to. In what follows, we will give you some examples you can focus on.

Firstly, you should note that all the statements in which the speaker suggests using violence in the Civil Rights Movement are controversial because mainstream civil rights activists strongly advocated non-violent protest. Here is one example in which Malcolm X incites the audience to use violent means to defend their rights:

…when you drop that violence on me, then you've made me go insane, and I'm not responsible for what I do. And that's the way every Negro should get. Any time you know you're within the law, within your legal rights, within your moral rights, in accord with justice, then die for what you believe in. (ll. 440-446)

While the speaker tries every time to point out that violence should only be used when necessary, as an answer to violence, his appeal remains controversial for those who do not beli...