In Dr. Kings Essay, King believes that our country (the U.S) has laws that are either just or unjust. Dr. King believes that: “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” (King,208). King was a civil rights leader that had his protests embedded on a peaceful basis, therefore he had to show that he had respect for the law and at the same time he wouldn't be afraid to stand up to the man and protest when an immoral unjust law had just been passed. King references to World War II when Adolf Hitler rose to power and conquered most of Europe. At the time it would have been illegal to protest and rebel against Hitler. But now looking back at history, most
An example of an unjust law is the test to become a registered voter. There was many different requires and even after meaning them a person could be asked impossible questions. These tests were impossible was due to the color of their skin or how the administration felt towards them. Another example of unjust laws is the segregation laws which separated people by race. They were separate but not equal. King builds logic to build his argument by mentions quotes from philosophers, saints and people with high credibility. These people were credible sources which supported his claims. In King's letter he quoted Saint Thomas Aquinas, he stated “an unjust law is a human law… [not a] natural law” (King 420). These unnatural laws degrade people and separate them also. It does not naturally occur people make these laws, and they usually occur with the corruption of government.
King brings in the question, what is a just and unjust law? A just law is one that promotes good morals and is followed by both the majority as well as the minority of society. Martin Luther King Jr. defines an unjust law as:
African Americans have undergone unimaginable hardships in this land and were powerless to effect change in the system with their vote. I find this to be great injustice. Another example of injustice in this reading is King’s arrest. He writes, “I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance, which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and deny citizens their First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.” As King explains how a just law can become unjust through capricious or malicious application, I find myself confused by the situation. African American citizens are struggling for the equality America was founded on, and these people are being arrested for improper parading. After exhausting many other approaches, African Americans moved to peaceful protest and even that was stifled. I find myself asking where else were they to turn, how else could they effect change, and where is their justice? Would anyone have blamed Dr. King for being angry with his situation? I doubt it. King made a wise choice to remain optimistic, to address those who questioned his motives with reverence. In fact, he defines how he will respond to his critics in the opening paragraph of his letter: “I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.” This statement demonstrates King’s commitment to
An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.? The Clergymen express great concern over King is willingness to break laws. King replies that this is an understandable concern since everyone follows the Supreme Court Decision of 1954 that states; public schools are not to be segregated. In other words King is saying the Supreme Court can hand down a just law and yet people do not obey it but yet they expect me to obey an unjust law. In Germany under Adolf Hitler every thing he did was ?legal? and the freedom fighters in Hungry did everything ?illegally?. Aiding a Jew under Hitler was considered ?illegal?. Because these things were legal did that make it right? No. Should people have obeyed these laws? No. These laws were made to suppress a group of people simple because of there religion. This is much like the segregation in the United States is it right because it is the law? No. Should these laws be followed? No.
On the fifth page of the text, King gives an example of Adolf Hitler and what he did was "legal" in Germany. Hitler was the maker of his own rules for his country, and due to his status didn't make his actions correct. At that time I'm sure there were those who came against Hitler and were punished for it, just as King was being punished for his stand. Ethics is based on societies views as right and wrong, not on what is written down in black and white. Today as we look at history we see that Hitler was wrong for what did, and we see King was right for wanting a better nation for everyone including African-Americans.
King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, paragraph 13, he says, “Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. For instance, I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit…” This is saying how laws may seem just, but can easily be enforced unjustly. They arrested King for having a parade without a permit….. What kind of excuse is that, I’ll tell you, It’s an excuse that someone uses when they want a powerful man in jail because they don’t share the same beliefs. Dr. King was unjustly thrown in jail. In their eyes civil disobedience wasn’t okay, now was it not okay because it was a black man, or just because it was flat out not okay? It’s because he was a black man, if it was some white man the police would have at most given him a warning, if done anything at all. Dr. King was marching for something he believed in, that’s why, King wasn’t upset to be thrown in
Martin Luther King Jr., was a civil rights activist who spoke freely about civil disobedience in the Letter from Birmingham Jail while he was locked up for civilly disobeying the law. He was writing to eight white clergymen that also felt that many of the laws were unjust, however they showed agreement with Socrates by stating that he should not disobey the laws. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “one has a moral responsibility to disobey just laws because if we did not disobey them then unjust acts would continue to occur, causing our country to be harmed”. He also stated that “an unjust law is no law at all”. Martin Luther King Jr. did believe that laws were setup and enforced to assist and support the residents of the state however, if a law was unfair or unconstitutional, then the law would
What is law? Law is a system of rules used to govern a society and control the behaviors of its members. In this case, Martin Luther King is charged for breaking a law. King questions the differences between just and unjust laws to justify his actions in Birmingham and the charges of breaking laws willingly. Defending his willingness to break laws, King argues, “How can you advocate breaking laws and obeying other?” He answers to accusation of his willingness to break laws with a well-written argument of what is just and unjust laws. Martin Luther King uses the definition, the categories, and the implication of the law excellently to answer the charges of breaking laws willingly.
I agree with Martin Luther King that “law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice. To start, another way to perceive the word justice is to associate it with the idea of impartailty. The idea of impartiality is important because every must be treated equally in the eyes of the law. King wrote about how there is nothing wrong with creating a law unless it is designed to inhibit the natural rights of anyone. He goes on to talk about how it's the duty of every citizen in this country to rebel against it till amends have been made.During the civil rights movement a lot of unfair laws were enacted to suppress African American from gaining constitutional rights. On top of that figures of authority would use inhumane tactics like sending
Martin Luther King Jr., the most important Civil Rights leader, once said “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential individuals in United States history, and is still recognized today for his peaceful approach on change. He believed that it was the peoples’ job to point out the flaws of society, and hold the government accountable for them. Many say that it is not the peoples’ responsibility to take this kind of action; however, no one has the leverage that the people do. The heart is to the body as the citizens are to the country. Without the active engagement of the people in the system, the country would fall flat of its responsibilities. With the absence of civil
There were times in history when breaking the law was justified: great leaders like Gandhi and Martin Luther King broke the law and changed the world for the better.
Furthermore, Mr. King believed that rules have to be followed only if they are just morally and ethically. He did not hesitate to brake laws when he found them offensive or umiliating. Doing so, he "educated" his followers to doubt the current situation and find the way to change
King went against the status quo in the things he said and did. He goes on to explain in his speech the multitude of unjust laws that present themselves to us today and the ramification that comes with having so called laws in place. An example of this is when King explains that there are some places where the law is just and others unjust. “For instance, I was arrested Friday on a charge of parading without a permit (King 3).” He goes on to say that there are
To understand King’s views on nonviolent protest, I will start by summarizing some of the main points in his “Letter from Birmingham jail”. In spite of the fact that the "Letter” is verifiably worried with justice all through, King likewise addresses the question specifically at a few focuses. In actuality, he places that justice maintains the poise of the human soul, while injustice conflicts with it. By talking about this idea by and large, he builds up criteria by which to obscurely assault both segregation and silence it. He at last suggests that the man who sees injustice and does nothing to stop it is acting unjustly also. Taking after this thought, he contends that laws must be permeated with an ethical sense so as to be just; as such, law and morality can not be viewed as independent interests or areas. The best way to really enact change and help humankind rise above its confinements is to act with as well as grasp “extremism”. According to Mott, “That this action had been termed “extreme” King admits “initially disappointed” him.” But King decides that if loyalty to good principles
"One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." Martin Luther King's words, which just correspond with the above assertion, perfectly tell us what to do in face of laws, either just or unjust.