"The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people"

This quote by Martin Luther King Jr. speaks with the power of silence and inactiveness. He is saying that the supreme disaster is not the oppression and cruelty of bad people, but the silence of good people in the face of such injustice. He is stressing the importance of speaking out against oppression and cruelty, and the repercussions of remaining quiet. He is recommending that when great people remain quiet, they are complicit in the injustice and cruelty of bad people. He is likewise suggesting that when good people speak up, they can assist to produce a more just and fair society. In this way, he is motivating individuals to do something about it and to utilize their voices to defend what is right. By doing so, they can help to create a better world.