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Martin Luther King Jr. on Disobeying Unjust Laws - Paper

Martin Luther King Jr. on Disobeying Unjust Laws

In a letter delivered to clergymen who denounced his advocacy of social protest, Martin Luther King states, "One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." The crux of King's argument is that laws do not automatically represent the will of the people; nor do laws always ensure social justice, liberty, or human rights. Laws that mandate segregation, for instance, are borne of racism and intolerance and are therefore immoral in nature. Penned by the dominant culture, segregationist laws promote hatred: as such they not only can but should be deliberately broken. Breaking the law, however, should be ...

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intolerance or bigotry are fundamentally unjust. To bolster his position, King reminds his audience that Hitler operated within the parameters of the law. Bringing the issue back to the current events of the 1960s, King outlines the fundamental injustices perpetrated in African-Americans since they were shipped in droves to North America and enslaved for centuries. Breaking the law is actually a moral duty when the law itself is unjust.
However, King also states, "In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty." Laws should be broken only when there is no viable alternative. Early in the letter, King reminds his audience that African-Americans attempted to negotiate with Birmingham's politicians and law enforcement officials to no avail. In his case, illegal protest became to only means by which to ...

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PAPER DETAILS
Added: 4/1/2016 02:32:37 AM
Category: African Studies
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 669
Pages: 3

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