Justice can be described as the fairness, equity, evenhandedness, neutrality, honesty, righteousness, and morality given to the people by the governments, as well as other people. Justice should be given all around the world, but it is not always given. From the past to this day, there has been a lot of justice, and the society along with the governments have come a long way to reach the justice we have today. A person who played a major role in giving us the justice we see today is Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King was a major factor in the laws we see today regarding equality, and he set the stage for what society should be like today. An analysis of, “A Letter for Birmingham Jail,” and, “Segregation Now,” will tell what …show more content…
I believe that segregation does these two things, but I also believe that it does more. Based on what King wrote in his letter, I believe that segregation is morally wrong and that segregation went on and hurt the society back then, and if only there was no segregation, the world would have been so much easier to live in (King). King had a wonderful understanding and relationship between the meanings of just and law. King believed that the two should be used together by the government authorities for the better of the people in the United States. He believed that when a law is created regarding the people, that just and unjust should be put into the factor. He as well as a lot of us would argue for laws to be created morally right for the sake of the country’s society. King believed that for a law to be considered a law, that it should serve justice to the people it is over, and not be morally wrong which is not what the government should have the control to do (King). Some more comes about justice and equality some during the 1970’s. In the 1970’s a judge gave an order to a city to integrate the two high schools in Tuscaloosa. The schooling systems that were segregated before, were finally integrated, and they became one of the
King Jr. have a desire to change the government laws, policies, etc. to get the freedom for his fellow negro people who had been suffering for 340 years of very violent and cruel treatment of white people. He is aiming for a fair treatment and freedom for the blacks. He does not agree on how the government don’t give the black people the equal right to vote, go to normal places, and get treated properly by white people. Also, he do not agree for the black women to not have the respect by considering them as “Mrs.”, for black children to not be able to go places because of their color, and for blacks who gets humiliated and get treated like nobody because they are black. He does not like the idea of keeping people with color separate from one another. This is just one country, and I think that people should be considered as one and have a unity from one another.
One view that King had that was better for the time was his view on Integration. “Let us march on segregated schools until every vestige of segregation and inferior education becomes a thing of the past and Negros and whites study side by side in the healing context of the classroom…” (Doc. D) Unlike Malcom X, who believed schools should stay segregated, King believed that schools and students would be best served to be integrated. This would help correct student’s mindsets of each other and bring about more acceptance of each race.
Martin Luther King Jr. expresses his views for obeying “Just” laws, while disregarding “Unjust” laws because of moral purposes. In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Dr. King speaks on how he “Urge people to obey laws,” as well as “urge them to disobey segregation ordinances”. “I agree with St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all.” Dr. King’s reason for following certain laws and not others is because he believes there are two types of laws. Just laws are beneficial to all races and “Is the man-made code that squares with the moral law or the Law of God”, unjust laws neglects certain human races needs and personalities and “Is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.” Dr. King does not disapprove Supreme Court decisions, yet if it involves segregation he feels as though it “Distorts the soul and damages the personality.” Dr. King states, “Segregation is not only politically, economically, and sociologically unsound, it is also morally wrong and sinful.” At this point, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is past describing how segregation affects people, but is now saying how segregation for example affects the political system such as denying Negroes the right to vote. “Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters.” Negroes make up the majority population in the counties of Alabama “Not a single Negro is
King differentiates between just and unjust laws, eliminating any argument as to what his letter is referring to. He quotes St. Thomas Aquinas: “An unjust law is a code that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.” By precisely defining the difference between just and unjust laws, King makes it difficult for anyone to refute his argument that segregation is not a law to be followed. King points out that while segregation may be legal, that does not necessarily mean that it is morally right. A majority of legislation passed did not include the votes of minorities, which contradicts the direct foundation of the country, as outlined by the Constitution, something that even the strongest segregationist must respect. King ends his argument with a resonating rhetorical question: “Can any law enacted under [morally wrong] conditions be considered democratically structured?” This question guides readers to the logical conclusion that with segregation, laws passed disregarding the votes of minorities, comes the fall of democracy, a fall with drastic repercussions as a country in which laws are passed to suppress minorities and benefit only the majority is no country at
The Republic by Plato examines many aspects of the human condition. In this piece of writing Plato reveals the sentiments of Socrates as they define how humans function and interact with one another. He even more closely Socrates looks at morality and the values individuals hold most important. One value looked at by Socrates and his colleagues is the principle of justice. Multiple definitions of justice are given and Socrates analyzes the merit of each. As the group defines justice they show how self-interest shapes the progression of their arguments and contributes to the definition of justice.
King Jr.'s definition of social justice within his essay is civic equality between Caucasians and those of African and African American descent. This form of civic equality includes equitable access to facilities and to rights that all Americans allegedly have. Moreover, King Jr. also is alluding to and end of segregation and a full-fledged integration of the races (King Jr., 1963). He certainly advocates an end to the violence African Americans had to endure while simply asking for, and demonstrating their need to access, civic rights.
This was great rhetoric. King plays on Americans’ patriotism when he says, “We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional God-given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward a cup of coffee at a lunch counter.” He makes it seem that those who are segregationists are backward people. Another great argument he makes is by showing the brutality African Americans must undergo. He says, “But when you have seen vicious mob s lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters…then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.” (King 47-48) King’s great arguments make it nearly impossible to ask African Americans to wait.
In April 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. was imprisoned for his participation in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation. He was placed in jail for eleven days during which he composed the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” which was in response to an open letter that declared his efforts for racial justice as being “unwise and untimely.” In this letter, he defended the tactic of nonviolent resistance to racism. The letter also stressed that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws as well as to take immediate action preferably than to wait endlessly for the courts to bring about justice. King’s understanding of justice is best summed up when he states that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” In other words,
Secondly within the text King challenges the system that has been forced upon African Americans. Going back the the concept of segregation. It was designed to systematically keep the African American community oppressed without the community knowing it or the government directly stating it. The White lawmakers tried with all their power to keep the African American community powerless and have a sense of inferiority. Martin Luther King Jr. challenged those who tried to enforce this ideology by speaking against it despite the danger. He spoke out against these racist laws in the quote “A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law.” (92, King) Within this quote he speaks against the unfair laws that affected African Americans but they were not able to vote on. It is incredibly unfair and unconstitutional to deny someone the right to vote let alone create a law affecting a specific race without letting
King’s letter he really tries to drive home the point that the African-Americans are the victims in this and they should have their basic rights. He writes “Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber” (King 4). The thought process is very logical, but it is hard for people at times to distinguish between the two. In the situation of an actually robbery, the police would not arrest someone for having their items stolen. They would do their best to find the thief and bring them to justice. The same should apply to segregation. They should be helping to bring justice for the people who have their rights stolen. Instead many see the African-Americans as the robbers. The African-Americans are fighting to their basic civil liberties and to be treated as the rest of the Americans are. The police and other people greet this with violence and throwing them in jail instead of trying to aid them. As a result, Dr. King makes sure that his protests are nonviolent on his part. In his letter he is clear that he believes “it is wrong to use immoral means to attain morals ends” (King 7). He believes that you must always have pure intentions and take the necessary positive steps to reach a positive end
Martin Luther King Jr. believed in transcendence, believing we all should be treated fairly and that right and wrong does exist. King’s critics violate non-contradiction, appropriate authority, and equivocation. The oppress gets freedom when they demand it. In Letter from Birmingham Jail, King uses evidence to prove his statements. King believed in just and unjust laws. To King a just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. Unjust laws can be broken if it’s something you believe in and needs to be stood up for, even if that are consequences that go along with your decision. King wanted better for African American and did not want them to suffer from unfair justice any longer. Dr. King was a motivational speaker who supported non-violence actions and believe that no man should fight with their hands but with their words. In Letter from Birmingham Jail, King is not only appealing to Christian Authorities but to other beliefs and religions also. King blames the regular white society instead of the powerful white supremacists because they were the ones that are not doing anything to help the blacks overcome the triumph. The legislator states that it is democratically correct that only the white can vote. The white individuals equivocate the word democratically saying that only whites can vote, when in reality anyone can vote. Just because a person makes a claim about the blacks, does not mean they have all of the credentials to make that direct claim. King refers to the bible and utilizes it in his letter by saying that by doing right and believing in God does not mean that the result will always be in your favor the first time around. King says that even though doing right is not always easy, we should not give up and continue to strive for the success that you
He then begins to state the opportunity that had risen to speak with the leaders of Birmingham, which leads to action and negotiation. Even though things were negotiated, as weeks and months went by Negros “realized that [they] were the victims of a broken promise” (King 2). He explains that laws have the ability to be just and unjust and that he will only follow and obey the just laws that agree with moral code and disobey laws that degrade human personality. Just because segregation is a law, doesn’t mean that it is just. The purpose of King making an argument against the Alabama clergymen is because he knows that in the Negros will win their freedom in the end simply because it’s their right and God’s
King wanted to believe that the white moderate did not fully understand the tension between the white and black people. White moderates tend to have a negative peace and are based on orders than following laws. King did not agree fully with them for one they wanted to wait till the right time while he wanted to just go for it whether it was right or not. King did not want to break just laws in the progress of making a change, but with the white moderate they did not care if they did or not. Although, he did like that they get whatever message they have out and make sure it is heard. He wanted to believe that there were white moderates out there that were willing to help get the message he had out. He wanted the segregation to end, but he knew he could not do it himself, he needed others to help as
Justice represents the unbiased and equal treatment of all people concerning the protection of their liberties. Prejudice impedes upon this concept; furthermore, causing harm, predisposition, and bigotry. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of many civil rights activists who served as a spokesperson during the plight for African American rights. While detained in a Birmingham jail for unlawfully protesting, King wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” King’s use of “anywhere” represents not only our community, but every community; furthermore, all communities are intertwined due to the constant communication amongst all people. All people deserve equal justice to ensure all opportunities, rights, and freedoms.
To speak of justice is to speak of a concept that is as old as human history itself. The belief that humanity is a created being necessitates the acceptance of a moral Creator. That this Creator is moral in nature implies that all that is good and moral originates in this Creator. The affirmation that humanity’s creation is in the imago Dei correlates human beings and human existence to be a reflection of the Creator. To affirm human existence as an evolutionary by-product, on the other hand, nullifies the potential of justice, making it an amorally generated relativistic idea formulated, in and through, opinionated understandings of good, evil, right, and wrong within human relations and interaction.