May 29

Blog #20 – Would you be willing to go to jail?

“I became convinced that noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good. No other person has been more eloquent and passionate in getting this idea across than Henry David Thoreau. As a result of his writings and personal witness, we are the heirs of a legacy of creative protest.” – Martin Luther King, Jr, Autobiography

 * emphasis is mine.

Initially going back to the 5th Century, St. Augustine stated that “an unjust law is no law at all”  giving some theological weight / heft to earthly laws. Henry David Thoreau suggested that we obey our conscience when we decide to obey or disobey a law.  He went to jail during the Mexican War and wrote his famous essay on civil disobedience.  Gandhi used Thoreau as inspiration, and King used Gandhi as an inspiration.  Gandhi and King used religion to inspire and their followers.  Here’s a quote from Dr. King from a sermon in the early days of the Montgomery Bus Boycott:

… I want it to be known that we’re going to work with grim and bold determination to gain justice on the buses in this city. And we are not wrong; we are not wrong in what we are doing.

If we are wrong, the Supreme Court of this nation is wrong.
If we are wrong, the Constitution of the United States is wrong.
If we are wrong, God Almighty is wrong.
If we are wrong, Jesus of Nazareth was merely a utopian dreamer that never came down to Earth.
If we are wrong, justice is a lie, love has no meaning.
My friends, we are determined … to work and fight until justice runs down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

But we can’t necessarily have people going around disobeying laws that they don’t like.  There has to be some standards.  Right?  According to Dr. King, he stated that the difference is:

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.

He further elaborates on this and states that: “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.”

Assumption: Since we cannot argue and fight with every law that we think goes against “the harmony of moral law” or disobey laws at whim (for instance, I might think that one day, the speed limit downgrades my personality, therefore I am going to take a principled stand against it by not obeying it), we have to assume that most laws need to be obeyed. 

But what are unjust laws today??

1. Abortion?  Or restrictions on abortion?

2. Wars or other military actions?

3. Immigration laws like the one in Arizona?

4. Gay rights? Or restrictions on gay rights?

5. Economic stuff like taxes?  Or lack thereof on companies, individuals, etc.?

6. Military draft (don’t worry, we don’t have one)?

7. Environmental damage?  Or lack of environmental laws?

8. Jobs or a lack of jobs?

9. Software and music / movie downloading -piracy?

10. Behavior / actions of an American company (sweatshops, illegally drilling, dumping, etc.)? 

11. ????

 Questions to answer:

a. Would you be willing to go to jail to protest unjust laws like the Civil Rights workers had done many times during the 1950s and 60s?  (Consider the ramifications of a felony or misdemeanor on your record, and its impact on your possible future career).

b. After consulting the list above, which laws would you be willing to fight against?  Why? (feel free to add to the list if you see any missing).

c. Do you agree with Dr. King’s reasoning w/ what makes a law just or unjust?  Why or why not? 

Due Wednesday, June 1 by class.  300 words total. 

 

Letter from a Birmingham City Jail by Dr. King.

Link to Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience.”

A history of mass civil disobedience by ACT UP.

Tags: , , ,

Posted May 29, 2011 by geoffwickersham in category Blogs

65 thoughts on “Blog #20 – Would you be willing to go to jail?

  1. Rob Swor

    1: I might go to jail in protest of an unjust law, but if it meant committing a felony, I would definitely not do it. A misdemeanor probably wouldn’t be a big deal to most employers or colleges, so I might be willing to go to jail for that. It would also depend on how long I thought I might be in jail for it and how likely the law was to change due to protest. If I thought I might spend more than a few nights in prison, I definitely wouldn’t be willing to go to jail in protest, and if I thought that the protest wouldn’t do anything I wouldn’t protest in the first place.
    2: I would protest economic stuff, piracy, and behavior of companies. For the economic stuff, it’s just stupid how much power all of the CEOs of large companies get and how little power everyone else gets, as well as how they get such low taxes for their income and everyone else gets such high ones. I think they should be taxed way higher than everyone else, as it’s not fair that there are a few people who get to have so much money with little ramifications while there are people who are so poor and are practically punished for it. For piracy, I wouldn’t fight this much, but there isn’t much proof that piracy actually makes things harder for the copyright owners of a material. In fact, there is almost more proof that it will help them, as there have been a number of times where a book or game was pirated and posted onto the internet, the download became extremely popular, and then it led to a huge boost in sales because the people who pirated them decided that the creators deserved to be paid for what they’d made. I would finally fight for changes in company behavior. Again, it’s stupid that they get to do such bad things without much punishment, if any. I think large companies need to be monitored more closely so they can’t get into as much trouble as they had been getting into.
    3: I don’t think I agree with Dr. King’s statement. While his statement does make sense and I could see myself agreeing with it, people have different morals and what may seem moral to one person may not to another, which was part of the reason that blacks were treated so badly, people saw nothing wrong with treating them that way for a long, long time.

  2. Jacob Seid

    In answer to letter A, I think that I would not be able to risk everything for an unjust laws. I am saying this of course, in the present day mainly because I don’t like to disrupt many things, especially in my own life and I prefer to sit back (most times) and just let people do their thing– even if I may be bothered by it. Back in the fifties I am not sure I would feel the same depending on who I knew, what color I was and the pier pressure I would be faced with. I think that if I did feel very strongly to unjust Civil Rights, I am pretty sure during the fifties and sixties I would stand up for myself but not risk everything and go to jail. Jail isn’t my place.
    With many of the laws today, yes they may be flawed to many and I must say I disagree with some of them. I do disagree with environmental damage– especially in regards to automobiles and how they cause global warming. I do understand that our natural resources are beginning to disappear and that is a concern because once we run out, our technology has not advanced enough in cars to have a fully drivable electric vehicle because they need to be charged so much. We would be going backwards as far as I’m concerned. I think that the pressure to boycott big thirsty SUVs like Range Rovers and big sedans like the Rolls Royce is stupid, especially when the alternative is an ecobox which isn’t very nice to look at or drive. The fact of the matter is, to make a Toyota Prius and the act of mining the nickel for the batteries and shipping them from canada to japan and back to America creates more environmental damage than it does to run a Range Rover for 14 years straight. But we (us Americans) still buy the prius because it is economical.
    I do agree with dr. King’s definition of just and unjust laws. Because I think that people in a way are god or have a little bit of god in them, the laws they create, although not perfect, but are for the most part, morally correct are just laws. The one’s that downplay humanity and living life, are not for they disrupt human nature, and the harmony of life.

  3. Rachel Goldstein

    A) I would be willing to go to jail for a cause I deeply believed in. If a law is unjust, it is out job as citizens to fight it. At the same time though, at protests I would make sure the proper permits were in place and no one could find an excuse to arrest me (or anyone else there). Having jail time on my record would make it harder for me to get a job.
    B) Of the list provided, I would protest immigration laws like the ones in Arizona, environmental damages, and restrictions on gay rights and abortion. The immigration laws are completely unfair. Everyone in the U.S. (except Native Americans) live here because of immigration. I would protest environmental damages and advocate for new laws protecting the environment to be put in place. This–overused and clichéd as this statement is–is the only planet we have. If we wreck it, there’s no fixing it. I believe that gay marriages should be legal. Having two men or two women married doesn’t hurt anyone else. There’s nothing wrong or gross about it. Another issue I would fight for is restrictions on abortion. Getting an abortion is a very personal choice that the woman considering getting one has to make. It’s not anyone else’s decision. If they were made illegal, people would still offer abortions illegally, and because of this there would be no regulations, so they would be a lot less safe. It would be better to keep them legal and protect the woman getting one.
    C) I agree with Dr. King’s reasoning of what makes a law just or not. If a law is hurting people or making their lives difficult (such as the immigration laws in Arizona and restrictions on gay rights) it is not fair or just and should be fought. At the same time, some people think that taxes “degrade human personality”, but that doesn’t mean that taxes are unfair. There are many sides to every issue, and what seems unjust to one person seems fine to another.

  4. Andrew Hausman

    a. I would definitely be willing to go to jail for a cause that I believe in. Even though there would be significant legal consequences, I believe it is much more important to stand up for what I think it is important. My religion and personal beliefs hold much more importance to me than my job security or personal record. I certainly like modern comforts and I would not enjoy my time in jail, but I would be very satisfied with myself that I took a stand. I would be extremely disappointed and I might even have a guilty conscience if I knew I had a chance to make a statement and I didn’t. Also, if I was hiring people for my business, I wouldn’t automatically disqualify candidates that have marks on their legal record. I would first check to find out if they incurred these violations through protest of a law that could be considered immoral. If this was the case, I might be even more inclined to hire them as I would consider them a stronger individual with good morals.

    b. I would be willing to go to jail for only certain causes, including abortion, unfair tax practices and a military draft. Laws that permit abortion are blatantly against my beliefs, as I don’t think anyone should be allowed to destroy human life without serious consequences. If I pay taxes (which I do not yet), everyone else should pay taxes in the proper proportion. Therefore, I would protest vehemently companies and individuals (such as illegal immigrants) that get away without paying taxes. I oppose many of the other issues, but I wouldn’t necessarily deem them worthy of being imprisoned, or that going to jail would be the best way to fight against them. These include wars, environmental damage, and the actions of an American company.

    c. Dr. Martin Luther King has several definitions of a just law, and I agree with some, but not all. I completely support his statement that “[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.” In my opinion, laws should definitely correspond with moral standards. However, I don’t agree that “[a]ny law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” This declaration is too open to interpretation.

  5. Courtney Stewart

    1. I would definitely be willing to protest the unjust laws during the Civil Rights movement. As black women these rights make a large impact on my life today. I am very thankful that someone before me was willing to take the risk to stand up for what they believed in despite the consequences. If I was in their shoes I would also do the same things they did. I feel that it is more important to strive for something bigger than you, than to keep a job or a position. I think I would be honored to spend jail time for my kids or the young black women that would be following me after my time.

    2. The laws that I would be willing to fight against would be abortion and gay rights. I think that having sex is a choice and a young child shouldn’t have to suffer because of someone’s stupidity or lack of preparedness. I am very strong against abortion because I have heard stories of women who have reckless sex and choose to have abortions instead of dealing with the results of having sex. The sole purpose of sex is to reproduce and it infuriates me when people kill something without a voice. I would also fight for gay rights. I feel that if two people are in love they should be able to get married and have a child. Love is blind therefore it comes in different sexes and races. And with holding the right to marry is just wrong.

    3. I agree with Dr. Kings reasoning because a law should be something that is right in every means of the word right. I think that a law should fit in with a society and go along with the best interest of the people who inhabit the law 

  6. Chase Turner

    Yes I would be willing to fight and be jailed for what I thought was right, within a reasonable measure if I thought that what someone was doing was bad or uinjust of course I wold fight for what I thought was right, many people were jailed for fighting for what they believe in and last time I checked there is nothing illegal about that. Everyday people find something wrong with their nation never will a whole nation be satisfied. I would be willing to fight against the draft for the army I would also fuight for tax stuff and the lack of jobs. I would not fight for gay rights just because I don’t believe in them at all. I woulf fight for these rights because maybe variables in each need to be changed in order for us to run a more better and safe nation we need to unite and make our lives better and the people around us’ lives better for us all to be happy as a whole. Yes I agree with DR king for what makes a law justy or unjust, laws are made to be broken everyday they are being broken. But some laws are plain stupid segregation and rasicm should never be tolerated. Everyone is equal and everyone has a right to be happy and to live free that to be taken away from someone is terrible I couldn’t ever imagine having to go to separate schools use separate bathrooms than my fellow peers. Overall I would fight for whatever I found right and I wouldn’t stop at nothing I respect people such as rosa parks who stood up for what she believed in be cause no matter what you will always be doing the right thing and making our nation a much better place to live

  7. Katia Lev

    a. I would be willing to go to jail to protest unjust laws. While this may make it harder for me to get a job, any person living under the oppression of these laws would not be in a position to get a job. What is the use of having rights such as freedom of speech and the freedom to protest if we do not use them in a way to better our society? While having jail time would look bad on my record, I do not know if I could stand myself if I knew I had the opportunity to help some people’s lives and I turned it down because my career was more important.
    b. I would definitely protest the behavior/actions of American companies. Again, this goes back to the freedom thing, who decided that Americans suddenly had the power to do whatever they felt like in order to gain more money? We are fully aware that sweatshops and illegal drilling/dumping is morally and legally wrong yet if people continue to do it with no repercussions, what kind of an example are we setting for the next generations? I would definitely fight for both restrictions on gay rights and abortion, because again who gave us the power to take away people’s choices? Yes, forcing someone to be gay is against their choice and is not condoned, but then why is forcing someone to be straight any better, or at least attempting it? Also, if being gay is a “choice”, as is the argument of some people, what gives us the right to take that choice away from anybody? Restrictions on abortion are the same thing, with respect to the fact that a woman’s body is her choice. Her choice to commit to having a child or her choice to understand that she is not in a position where she could take care of one. No matter how many innocent “lives” are killed with an abortion, so many more children are starving on the streets, getting beaten by abusive parents or working in terrible conditions. Rather than care for the children unborn, we should concentrate on helping out the children who are alive right now and suffering.
    c. I do not really agree with Mr. King, with only that I think that the moral code is a fine line to walk and many people have different explanations and definitions of it.

  8. Emily Novick

    1) I would definitely go to jail for civil rights. I would protest peacefully, which is in my rights and legal if I have a permit. Although that wouldn’t really matter because the police didn’t like people who fought for their rights, so I would end up in jail. The reason that I would go to jail is because I would be fighting for a cause bigger than myself, this would affect millions of African Americans and their fight to freedom, so what if I have a slight jail record? Participating in the marches may not seem to have a big impact but if everyone thought that, MLK Jr. would have been marching on the streets by himself and the government wouldn’t acknowledge or care about his existence. Plus, having a jail record might further enhance my career. If worst comes to worst and no one will let me have a job, I can always try rapping.

    2) I would support abortion, bringing troops home, bringing down immigration laws, gay rights, less taxes on the poor, more on the rich, no draft, environmental protection, creation of jobs, music privacy, and condemn the actions of companies using sweatshops and being immoral. I don’t know if I would be willing to go to jail for any of them since police aren’t arresting people who are marching in the streets as far as I know.

    3) I believe that, although it has good intentions, the law cannot be completely based on morals. It is an idealistic approach that would be awesome if we all had the same morals. Our morals depend on our cultures; some people in the Middle East see no problem with women having a very low status compared to men. Some believe that women shouldn’t be equal to men, and see women who work as housewives to be altruistic. If we based our law on those morals, then I would run away to Canadia. There are so many interpretations of what is right and what’s wrong that making a set code attuned to only some morals and forcing others to apply them would be immoral in and of itself. I do believe that everyone should fight for what they believe to be moral and try to make a law. Just and unjust laws should be determined by the individual, and if he/she finds it appaling enough, then they can fight it as they see fit. I find the idea of the law being based on conscience appealing but if applied, the world might explode.

  9. Cmcpherson

    a. I would be willing to go to jail to protest unjust laws like the Civil Rights workers had done many times during the 1950s and 60s.Taking in consideration of a lasting record, I probably still would. There are lots of things that I would have to consider before I was to ever step foot in a detention center. For example what would most likely be the jail I would be in (seriously). I want to make sure I’m not going to be at the “heavy duty” jails, you know the more tougher ones, I would want to know that the place I would be sent is little bit more “prison friendly”. I would also want to think about what I plan to do as far as choosing another job, if being locked up will affect my employment. And hard as is to find a job I would highly consider things, so basically it depends on the severity of the incident that I would be jailed for.
    b. Military draft is probably the only one I would go to jail for and maybe not even that. I am personally not too fond of joining the military and would probably have a nervous breakdown if I was drafted. All the others on the list are things that I believe are very serious things, but me personally I would not be able to handle and risk being at a jail for. All the other laws I feel are worthy to be fought for, I’m just not willing to go jail for it.

    c. I’m not 100 percent sure if I agree with MLK said; perhaps I do just only to a certain extent. When he says “A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God”. I feel that that isn’t really true. I feel that not everyone in this would share the same morals in life, therefore I don’t believe there is a common ground with that. So therefore when he refers to the moral law , that’s what I don’t personally believe in because of different peoples morals.

  10. geoffwickersham (Post author)

    There is a limited amount of things I would ever want to go to jail for. However, I would go to jail in order to protect my religeon and country, the US or Israel. In orsder to protect my family, in preforming such actions that could be illegal would be necissary and I would go to jail. I know, for a fact that I wouldn’t be able to survive there. Think of Richers, in NYC, (I don’t know if that’s how you spell it), people range in that prison from crimes like petty larson, to murder. They put all of the prisonsers, regardless of the gravity of crimes they commit, together in the same units. In a recent case in the violent NYC prison, a convicted killer mutulated the body of a young man convicted on one offense of drunk driving. They’re is no differnet place for convicts, they both go to the big house, I wouldn’t be able to survive with all the big time criminals. In the event where my family is under distress or threatened, I would be wiling to break the law to protect them. The martin luther king quote I interpert as ” if a law is unjust, if it puts down human morals, it shouldn’t be a law at all”. I agree with the quote, if any law is hurting anybody or disrepects ones attitude or morals, it shouldn’t exsist. Segregation laws and jim crow laws are great examples of what king was trying to justify. They were completely proposturous and shouldn’t have been made into laws. And to relate to the past question, I would be willing to break laws that I believe are immoral to both other american citizens, and follow the criteria of martin luther kings quote of what an unjust law looks like.

    Lenny

  11. Erick Dagenais

    a) I would not be willing to go to jail because of an unfair law. Going to jail messes up many people’s lives because they fall behind with society and all that person’s relationships with the people they know are weakened. I would help protest any law that I believe is unfair, but without getting in trouble for it. If the cops showed up at the place where I was protesting, I would leave immediately to avoid any trouble. I would help get the word out there, but I wouldn’t be the person making sacrifices for society to be better.
    b) Out of the list of things to protest, the ones that I would protest against are the military draft, taxes and the immigration law. Serving in the military should be voluntary, not something that the government should force you to do. If taxes are too high, or they are unfairly divided among people, I would fight for it. As for the immigration laws, I think we should let all illegal immigrants have the chance to apply for citizenship, and not make it as hard as it is (immigration test and all the paperwork). I would probably protest against other things too if they existed, such as if the U.S. randomly invaded another country or something morally wrong to my eyes.
    c) I do not agree with MLK’s definition of an unjust law. This is because a law that one may think is morally wrong, another may think is perfectly fine. Just because a law degrades someone’s personality, it doesn’t mean that it’s unfair. If there was an option to not pay taxes, I’m sure that the majority of people would choose that action, but then the government wouldn’t be able to do anything and everyone would complain about the government not doing anything about solving the country’s problems.

  12. charles zuccarini

    1:i would be willing to go to jail if it was for a just cause that i belived in. though i wouldnt try to actualy go to prison. if there wa a way i could still get the message through while not going to prison that would be preferred. but if it was a reasonable consiquence then i wouldnt mind going for a few days or nights. i wouldnt overall be willing to spend much more than a week in jail. though i would also have tobe convinced that my time served in prison would make some form of a differance somewhere for if it didnt then why should i even bother?
    2: overall id say id be willing to fight laws agenst abortion, a millitary draft, and unjust tax practices. i feel that abortion, so long as you have it befor the baby is even remotly developed enough to realy be “alive” is completly fair and ok. some people cant afford the trauma and or costs of having a child and it shouldnt be ok to force them to have to deal with that problem should it ever occure. though once the child has actualy developed enough to be considered “alive” then ii would completly agree that the parents have no right to abort and that doing so should be considered murdure. then as far as the military draft goes i belive that that is very unjust. for even if the war is going on ome people might not support it at all and so then why should they have to fight for it? you should have to take into account the persons morals and ideals befor u make them fight. and hey if they dont wish to fight for their country thats completely ok and the descision is up to them. not everyone is cut out for combat anyway. and one of the other things id be willing to fight for is the unjust taxing. i belive corperations and big buissnesses shouldnt be getting any tax cuts. why should we let off on taxing the people who not only have the money they need for both themselves and for taxes, but also have more than enough money to probably keep at least 100 people well nurished, well off, and overall content? while we end up taxing people who can barly pay it off. big buissnessess and extramly rich people have so much more money than they need and could afford to probably pay all the taxes of the poor class while still being completly ok. if it ment putting an end to any of these i would be glad to spend a few days or weeks in prison.
    3: i agree with dr.king to some degree on which morals should have some role to play in how laws are made. though i dont belive that laws should be based only upon this. i belive laws should be made based on how they benifit the community, peoples freedoms, and if possible peoples comforts as well. and should be made on weather or not they are right n not if the people just want it.

  13. Ryan Stratton

    I apologize for the lateness of the blog. I had literally no time upon getting home from New York.

    a. I don’t necessarily think I’d be willing to go to jail to fight laws. Even if they are unjust, solely because not many of the laws affect me as a person. However, if I were a homosexual, I’d have a very different view on this. I wouldn’t fight a law, only to be charged with a felony or misdemeanor on my record. This could have awful consequences later in my life. If I were to fight for laws, I’d do it in a different manner.

    b. Laws I Oppose.
    – Abortion (restrictions); I don’t agree with those who oppose abortion. I feel that abortion can help. Consider this scenario. A teenager, not ready to have a child, not willing to care for a child, unable to pay for a child, is pregnant. Should the person have the child, and be forced to raise it? No (and as a rebuttal to the argument of putting the child up for adoption, I get the feeling that it’s borderline impossible to give up your own flesh and blood to borderline strangers).
    – Gay Rights (restrictions); I am completely, 100% supportive of gay rights. Being gay isn’t something you can control, it just happens. I disagree with the preconceived notion that “guys need to marry girls”. How about “people marry people, no matter the gender”?
    – Economic Taxes; I feel that a progressive tax rate is unjust. I’ve simply just never understood what the tax really helps us with. It seems to me that it punishes those in the world who are successful, and rewards those who sit around and do nothing (and yes, there are few exceptions to this). I don’t follow the thinking. Truthfully, I feel like that goes eerily in line with Socialism and the idea of distribution of wealth.

    c. I agree with his idea that a just law must square with moral law. For instance, I don’t feel that punishing people who are more successful in the world by taxing them more is in line with moral law. I don’t feel that, just because someone is attracted to those of their same gender, they should be punished and unable to legally marry. I don’t agree with the idea that a woman who was raped should be forced to have the child that was given to them forcefully. These laws do not square with any moral code, no matter what way you look at it.

  14. Calvin Greer

    To be honest, I don’t think I would ever have the guts to protest unjust laws like the Civil Rights workers did during the 50s and 60s. Those people put it all on the line for what they were fighting for and I don’t think I’d ever be able to match that intensity to a point of risking any consequences that could ruin my future. All the Civil Rights fighters went—for lack of a better phrase—balls to the walls, and it truly is impressive and something to be honored.

    Like I said, I’m not really willing to risk anything while fighting for a law that I feel is unjust, however, hypothetically if I were to, it would probably be against any state that doesn’t allow abortion. I think that that is a choice that a couple has to be allowed to have. Accidents happen, and, even worse, women get raped, and to thrust a child onto a women or a couple that doesn’t feel ready seems completely unfair. Besides, the couple may not be economically prepared to handle the expense of a child, and this is just putting a child into a poor childhood that may not have the opportunities that it could have had if the couple had waited.

    I am in complete agreement with Dr. King’s reasoning. It’s simply put, yet it makes complete sense. How could a law be just, yet at the same time be against human morals? It just can’t happen. In order for a law to be just, in needs to run hand in hand with the moral law, which is exactly how Dr. King says it. Anything not hand in hand with the moral law would be a cruel display of government power, after all, the government is really meant to govern, not to RULE. Not to mention, Dr. King was a boss, so of course I agree with him.

  15. Brad Miller

    1. I would only go to jail if the law prohibited by ability to be a full American citizen. If not, I wouldn’t protest. I would continue on with my study and try to excel at whatever I decide to be. If I finally come to my senses and laws haven’t been changed, say 10-15 years later, I would be forced, for the sake of my livelihood, to move to a different country such as Canada or England where African-Americans had full rights. If something like this were to happen currently, I would only protest if the way the protesting was happening was illegal. The government cannot convict me of a crime that doesn’t exist. The 1st amendment protects my rights and I stand by that.
    2. I would protest against a military draft only if it was for a war that is not a legitimate war that we HAVE to fight. I would protest against something like the Vietnam wartime draft. I would protest for some environmental laws. America is beautiful; there is no need to destroy it more than we already have.
    3. I agree with Dr. King’s reasoning on what makes a law just or unjust mostly because I can’t think of a better way to state the difference. A law that keeps the peace is just and one that ruins the balance is unjust. It seems straight forward enough; however Dr. King probably had a more in-depth way of looking at what he said. The only flaw I see is that people’s morals are all different. This is how differences in what is just conflict easily and often. It is almost impossible to create a completely just laws and I think the most just law in the entire world is the first ten Amendment to the United States of America’s constitution, known as the bill of rights.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*