One may well ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all." Letter from a Birmingham Jail (1963) Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”: Just and Unjust Laws Page 2Fair or unfair? That is the question. Because opponents of the Civil Rights Movement and desegregation appealed to the fact that segregation was legal by the standards of the Southern states and municipalities, Dr. King had to remind everyone that legality doesn't make anything morally right. But he goes further than that. He very quickly claims that everyone has a moral obligation to disobey unjust laws: One may well ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. (12) As a Christian, Dr. King held himself to what he considered a higher moral code than legislation. But as he elaborates his argument during the course of "Letter from Birmingham Jail," it becomes clear that he's not really hanging his hat on religious reasoning. He's coming from a more nuanced position. Regardless of a person's faith, agnosticism, or atheism, Dr. King's argument that unjust laws should be conscientiously disobeyed is hard to disagree with. Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and like we do every year in honor of Dr. King’s memory, I’m posting an excerpt from his Letter From Birmingham Jail. In these passages, Dr. King is explaining that not all laws are created equal. Laws are made by humans, and humans unfortunately have a long history of discriminating against each other. King says that we have a moral responsibility to obey just laws, and a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. That’s how we expand freedom. (Note that typos are contained in the original manuscript.) “One may well ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" Theanswer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the last toadvocate disobeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey justlaws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St.Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all" This allows the reader to understand from a logicalperspective as to why Dr.King believes this law should not exist. It explains to the reader thatany reasonable person faced with unjust laws would also take the necessary steps Dr.King hasproposed. What is also important is that Dr.King makes it clear that he believes that no oneshould disobey a just. This is crucial in disproving the clergymen's claim that Dr.King isadvocating havoc. |