Martin Luther King, Just and Unjust Essay - 1052 Words

Justice in the Eyes of Martin Luther King 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, â€Å"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. King†¦show more content†¦To further support his analysis of the law, King states a third definition of â€Å"an unjust law is a code inflicted upon a minority which that minority had no part in enacting or creating because they did not have the unhampered right to vote† (PAR 14). This definition is given to show that there are unjust laws occurring. This implies that the white people are devaluing democracy and what it stands for. He states after that, clearly, Negroes are not allowed to vote in the state of Alabama regardless if they are the minority or not. He is stating that it is unjust for Negroes not to be able to vote. Although these statements do not directly answer the charges of the clergymen, King is building up to that answer. While defining the laws, King is focusing on what he believe is wrong and its relationship with unjust laws. King uses this technique to support breaking unjust laws to obey just laws. Defending his willingness to break laws, King argues, â€Å"How can you advocate breaking laws and obeying others† (PAR 11)? King uses the strategy of answering a question with a question. King was arrested for parading without a permit in Birmingham, AL. The ordinance used against King was deemed unjust because it denies citizens the First-Amendment. King’s arrest is a prime example of breaking laws and obeying others. He accepted the charges of breaking the law, while,Show MoreRelated Civil Disobedience Martin Luther King David Thoreau LA riot Essay examples1119 Words   |  5 PagesCivil Disobedience On April 29, 1992, the City of Los Angeles was surrounded in a riot in response to the quot;not guiltyquot; verdicts in the trial of four white Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers accused of unlawfully beating Rodney King. Six days later, when the fires were finally extinguished and the smoke had cleared, â€Å"estimates of the material damage done vary between about $800 million and $1 billion, 54 people had been killed, more than 2000 injured, in excess of 800 structuresRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau Essay976 Words   |  4 PagesThe essays by Martin Luther King Jr., â€Å"Letters From Birmingham Jail† and Henry David Thoreau, â€Å"Civil Disobedience† show how one can be a civil person and protest against unfair, unjust laws forced upon them. Both authors are very persuasive in their letter writings. Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. write about the injustice of government laws, of right and wrong, and one’s mo ral and upstanding conscience of a human being. Martin Luther King Jr. is a religious, peaceful man who usesRead More Comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr.933 Words   |  4 PagesDisobedience by Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Any one can say that a law is unfair and unjust. However, who is really willing to accept the consequences for going against an unjust law? Is breaking this law really worth the punishment? The government is the one to decide whether a law is reasonable, but what if a member of the public believes that a law is not? Should he rebel against this law? Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. answered yes to this question andRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr s Letter From Birmingham Jail986 Words   |  4 PagesInstitutions, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail are two important pieces of history. In Lincoln’s speech he speaks about the dangers of slavery in the United States and warned everybody that people who disrespected American laws could destroy the United States. On the other hand, Martin Luther King Jr. defended the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism, and argued that people have a moral responsibi lity to break unjust laws. Based on these facts, Martin Luther King Jr does notRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr.s Letter From A Birmingham Jail And Antigone1004 Words   |  5 PagesThe â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther King and the play of â€Å"Antigone†, both demonstrate ways in which civil disobedience is used to challenge unfair laws. Although Martin Luther King and Antigone both go against the unjust law, however, they go about it in different ways. For instance, Antigone acts in civil disobedience in order to accomplish a family obligation, meanwhile, Martin Luther King Jr. visions civil disobedience as a method to obtain equality for the sake of his communityRead MoreCivil Disobedience Martin Luther King David Thoreau La Riot1146 Words   |  5 PagesCivil Disobedience On April 29, 1992, the City of Los Angeles was surrounded in a riot in response to the not guilty verdicts in the trial of four white Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers accused of unlawfully beating Rodney King. Six days later, when the fires were finally extinguished and the smoke had cleared, estimates of the material damage done vary between about $800 million and $1 billion, 54 people had been killed, more than 2000 injured, in excess of 800 structures wereRead MorePlato s Letter From Birmingham Jail1521 Words   |  7 Pageslaws but to also throw off such government when it is being wrong and unjust. Plato’s dialogue in the Crito shows Socrates’ views on his obligations to the government and in Martin Luther King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† we see a different set of obligations depicted by King. Socrates strongly believed that his life was to be dedicated to the government under no other circumstances but on the other hand, Mart in Luther King respected his obligations as a citizen but did not hesitate to reactRead MoreThe Importance Of Disobeying The Law Can Never Be Justified1297 Words   |  6 Pageswould be likely to fail. This is how revolutions began by starting with disobyeing the law, and if the outcome of such act benefits towards human progress, than it is most indeed justifiable. Martin Luther King Jr., and Howard Zinn both demonstrate the justification that disobeying certain laws are called unjust laws. Their are certain laws that when they are disobeyed, depending on the situation, should be account justifiable if it is on the side of rightousness. While the laws created by man keepRead MoreEssay on Ethos, Pathos, Logos Kings Letter to Birmingham796 Words   |  4 Pagesinjustice as did Martin Luther King in his â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail.† Martin Luther King Jr. effectively crafted his counter argument by first directly addressing his audience, the clergymen, and then using logos, pathos, and ethos to refute his opponents statements and present his own perspective. After stating the general purpose of his letter, Martin Luther King Jr. specifically addressed the clergymen to set up for his logical counterargument. First Martin Luther King effectively makesRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr.s States Segregation Not Only Hurts Blacks but also Whites597 Words   |  3 PagesMartin Luther King Jr. On April 16, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail, in which he responded to the Southern Clergy men’s letter appealing to the end of the demonstrations to end the demonstrations against segregation. King responded with his own letter pleading with the clergy to end segregation. In his letter he used examples of pathos, ethos, and logos to express himself to the clergymen. He also used his knowledge as a minister and a leader in his community