The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr edited (and partially? written) by Clayborne Carson, is a book that focuses on various periods of King’s life. This book is more than half King’s own words, as the author has tried to keep the book mostly written by King’s own words via his books, letters, etc.
“I was much more afraid in Montgomery when I had a gun in my house. When I decided that I couldn’t keep a gun, I came face-to-face with the question of death and I dealt with it. From that point on, I no longer needed a gun nor have I been afraid. Had we become distracted by the question of my safety we would have lost the moral offensive and sunk to the level of our oppressors.” (P.82)
I like this quotation because he talks about how morals are better than physicality. If you’re a good fighter, that’ll make you a good fighter, but if you have good morals, it’ll make you an overall better person. He had come face-to-face with the question of if he’s willing to have a gun to protect himself, if he’s willing to attack, even in self-defense, just like the oppressors would attack him. He was not afraid because he knew he had good morals, he didn’t need a gun.