Blog #63 – Are you 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 Friday, May 2 by class. 300 words total.
Considering all of the possible impacts going to jail could have on my future, I don’t think I would be willing to go to jail to fight for a cause. This doesn’t mean I would not be supportive of certain movements against unjust laws; I just would not support them to an overwhelming extent that could get me thrown in jail. There are several laws I would be willing to fight against, one being restrictions on abortion. In my opinion, if somebody gets pregnant and knows that they would not be able to raise a baby in a nurturing environment, they should be able to do something about it. Raising a child poorly in a miserable environment is just as bad if not worse than having to get an abortion. Another law I would fight against is restrictions on gay marriage. Everyone has the right to be happy, regardless of sex. It shouldn’t matter who someone is marrying, as long as they’re happy about it, the rest of us should be just as happy for them. Lastly, I would be willing to fight for more laws that would benefit environmental protection. There are so many plants and animals whose existence is necessary for our survival that people don’t even realize exist. If people continue to push environmental protection to the bottom of the to-do list, we might not be able to enjoy some of the benefits we have today in the future.
I do agree with Dr. Kings reasoning for what makes a law unjust. If a law is immoral, or “out of harmony,” then clearly it should not be a law. In my opinion, laws are meant to protect a person from certain evils, which makes me wonder why certain laws exist. Gay marriage doesn’t hurt anybody, so why shouldn’t it be allowed in all 50 states?
A. I can honestly say that I would go to jail. I strongly believe in equality for all American citizens (unless you have forfeited those rights) and if I have to go to jail so that people of all race or color could have the same freedoms that white folks have, then I will go to jail. If I am going to jail for what I believe in, then I am ok with going to jail. That applies to any situation.
B. I am willing to fight against laws that exempt taxes from certain businesses and/or people, lack of jobs, and behavior and/or actions of American companies because I do not believe in them. I am VERY willing to fight against laws restricting abortion, war and other military action, laws restricting gay rights, taxes, environmental damage, and the draft most of all because I hate those things, I believe they are immoral and unjust and a detriment to our happiness and well being. I will not fight against piracy because I think it is ridiculous and stupid. I will fight for abortion, gay rights, jobs, and freedom to choose military service because I feel it is right to be able to choose, because I feel that there should be no debate in the first place whether they should have the same rights, because I think jabs are pivotal to the success of the greatest nation on the planet, and because I hate the draft and everything that that damned thing stands for. The freedom to serve for and possibly die for ones country should be your choice.
C. I would say that I agree with King in his statements most basic form. An unjust law is not in harmony with a just law, this is true, but I think that it is a little deeper than the explanation that he gave.
I think if I were very passionate about something and it was very important to me, like Civil Rights were for workers in the 1950s and 60s, I would take a stand and protest against it. I cannot see myself as a leader of any type of protest group because I just don’t think I have that kind of courage and bravery but I would definitely be a part of it and try to help out to the best of my abilities. I feel that if I were to be convicted of a felony and that be put on my record, it would have to be for something, again, that is extremely important to me so I would be somewhat proud of myself for standing up for that cause and the felony to me, would be something to be proud of standing up for. That being said, laws that I would be willing to fight against would be restrictions on abortion and gay rights. Both of these are extremely touchy topics and they’re hard to argue about just in a blog. Simply put, I think that each individual should have the right to do whatever they want with their bodies and love whomever they please. The main reason these topics are even being debated is because of religious beliefs and I do not want to punch at anyone’s beliefs but this country was founded on a standard of the separation of church and state and sometimes we as a country are forgetting that. I completely agree with Dr. King’s reasoning behind a just and unjust law because a just law does uplift humanity while an unjust law does the opposite. Dr. King put my reasoning for supporting abortion and gay rights into much better words when he said that. Restrictions on abortion and making gay marriage illegal is damaging to humanity, humans, and people who are against these things are putting down these individuals, certainly the opposite of uplifting them.
A. I am a very strong believe that if you want to change something , you yourself have to take action in doing so. Yes I would fight the laws if I was in the 50s and 60s. But I have to be truthful in saying I would not be the one to start anything. Just like with how things are not I am not going to be the one to go and start a movement, I’m not that strong of a person. If I am given the chance to fight something I don’t find to be right then I will take the opportunity in a second.
B. Restrictions on abortion: Now, I think that if you want to get one, so be it, thats your choice, but I also think in many respects i think that the two following laws are wrong. Then Parental notification law: require medical personnel to notify a minor’s parent(s) of her intention to obtain an abortion and the Parental consent law: require medical personnel to obtain written permission from the parent(s) before providing an abortion. If a teen does not want to have a child and does not want to rise that child they should not be forced to because of there parents beliefs. It is there body, there life, and there child. It is there life choice.
Gay rights: Everyone has the right to love. Whats the big deal if they get married? In my eyes marriage is not for a religious purpose. Its for other reasons, like medical, government, and for the couples children.
Software and music / movie downloading -piracy: This is stupid, if the government really went and punished everyone who ever downloaded music of a movie illegally. There would be no one left.
C. We live in a country that prides ourselves on being free people. Heres the deal, unless the people take action, nothing gets changed. No great mount in history started because one person kindly walked up to the american government and said they wanted it changed. People had to fight for it.
Honestly, during the 1960’s I probably wouldn’t be willing to go to jail for protesting civil rights during this time. I wouldn’t be willing to protest this and risk my freedom because if I do go to jail, I would loose all my freedoms anyways. Why protest your rights, when you could eventually go to jail and loose all your rights and privileges? Maybe it’s different for people living during that time period, not really having the taste of freedoms and rights that I have today. Looking at the list given, the main laws I would probably fight for are things such as abortion, the economy, and the environment. I think that these three things are important to me and I guess I would be willing to fight against but I’m not so passionate about these subjects that I would go to jail for them. Something that I could see myself going to jail for would probably not be for a movement but for my family or friends. Maybe in a way if the movement connected to a family member or someone I truly care about I would be willing to go to jail for it. I guess you could say I’m interested in the economy and taxes and also politics so maybe something along that line I could fight for if I really understood what I was fighting for. People who are willing to spend jail time for their cause are some of the bravest people I have ever seen. From personal experience the show Whale Wars. A few members on the crew decided they would illegally board a Japanese whaling vessel to protest the illegal whaling in the Southern Ocean. These men ended up spending months in a Japanese jail for their cause and in my eyes those are some of the bravest men and women.
This first question is a tough one. It’s especially difficult to answer, considering that I was not alive during that time, and do not share the same intensity and enthusiasm for the cause as those who supported it did. I would like to think that I would have the will to go to jail. I suppose that, if I were with many others during a protest, I might have the guts to go to jail. I do not think I could go to jail if it were just me, like Rosa Parks. While I probably would support the cause, I’d find it difficult to endanger my future without the support of others.
I would be willing to fight against abortion. This is one of few laws in America i consider to be immoral. While I would be willing to fight others, I am not nearly as interested by any of them as I am abortion. I would not be one of those ignorant people on the streets damning people to hell. No one listens to them, and understandably so. They alienate people by arguing rashly and illogically. I would be willing in order to end abortion. My reason for this is not solely based on religion, but based on morals and personal beliefs. I do realize that there are extreme situations in which an abortion might be the only option, such as the possible death of the mother due to the birth of the child. I can understand and appreciate that. But, there are also extreme situations in which you are legally allowed to kill someone, such as self defense. That does not make murder legal.
I agree completely with Dr. King. Nothing justifies breaking the law except the situation King described – when it is morally correct to do so. Unfortunately, morals are not shared universally, nor is there any standard for them. This makes it difficult to decide whether a law is immoral or not. If nothing else, I am a supporter of the right to express one’s self, and should someone believe a law to be immoral, within reason, they should be able to fight it, so long as they do not break any laws that are just.
If I were to be completely honest, I don’t think I would have been willing to go to jail for Civil Rights in the 1950s-60s. It’s not that I don’t agree with the cause, because I do, I’m just not that type of person. I would like to think that I’d be brave enough to do it, but I probably would end up running away or something. I would get myself involved in protests and standing up for what I believe in, but not to the point of being arrested. I like to consider myself a generally logical person and when looking at the whole picture, I don’t think it would be worth it to be imprisoned. I have to look at the bigger picture and what long-term effects my decision would have. Going to jail would mean not only risking my future, but the future of my family. It would be pretty hard to get a job later in life if you have a criminal record and that would put the well-being of a lot of people at risk. Additionally, when you are a criminal, you pretty much forfeit your rights as a citizen, making the rights you were fighting for not even applicable to yourself. Of course, I have the utmost respect for those who do make the choice to risk their own liberties for others to have them. I find this extremely noble as I know I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I think one of the hardest things in life is standing up for what you believe in-especially when it is unpopular. I would be willing to fight against abortion, taxes, and the behavior of companies. One that is not on the list that I would also be willing to fight against is persecution of any religion because it plays such a large role in my life. I am pretty passionate about people having the right to worship how/whom they want because of my ancestral background. I do agree with Dr. King’s reasoning of a just versus an unjust law because in my opinion, morals should always trump political agenda and I don’t think any natural rights should be taken away from anyone. Laws are meant to protect people and make their lives better, not worse.
I can understand why many people during the 1950s and 1960s were willing to go to jail for their cause, but I personally don’t think I could. I may have believed in one of the causes and supported it, but I would be more concerned with my future than to get arrested for it. However, it is impossible to know what I would do because I didn’t face causes like Civil Rights or the Vietnam War. Maybe I would have felt differently back then, actually living in the time, than I do now. Maybe I would have gone to jail for it, who knows. In order to get me to go to jail today, I would have to believe very, very strongly in the cause and really understand it. The main things I would fight for would be equality, politics, and economics. The laws that I believe are unjust are restrictions on abortion, restrictions on gay rights, and lack of environment laws. I have many opinions about these topics, but they are way too long for the blog. The main thing I believe in is everyone should be able to do what they want with their life regarding abortion and gay rights. Who am I to say anything if I’m not in that position? Regarding the environment, I think it’s our job to take care of it as much as we can. I agree with Dr. King: unjust laws degrade human personality. I believe just laws are moral laws, but I don’t know if I would go as far to say they are the laws of God. I believe in the separation of church and state, and I personally find that it gets very messy when people try to bring religion into government. To me just laws support out inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If a law goes against one of these, then it is unjust.
a) I feel that if I were to live in the 1950s-1960s I would have fought for the rights of others and in doing so would go to jail for my cause. Though i’m willing to go to jail for the good of the cause if I were to live in the !950s most likely I wouldn’t be for Civil Rights but in our generation I would more than willing to fight for Civil Rights. Regardless of the record I would have in the 1950s jobs didn’t require a college degree to make a good living and I would therefore be fine with protesting.
b) One group I would help support is gay rights. I’m not gay but I don’t see whats holding us back from letting the same sex get married. I think our generation uis filled with a bunch of Homophobia minded people. Gay people are in no threat to me and wouldn’t send our generation backwards. I would got to jail if I had to for gay rights.
c) I think Dr. King has a very good point on his philosophy that if a law takes away freedom of other based on race or destrurbs a publics pursuit of happiness then the law must be deemed unjust. Dr. King made his point clear and with power as well which is why I believe he is right to say that the laws of his time were unjust.
a. I would be willing to go to jail to protest unjust laws. However, if I chose to protest one of the above laws I do not believe I would go to jail because I would protest within my given rights. I would use freedom of speech, press, and our right to gather and protest, and work within those constraints. If those rights were taken away from me, then I would find it necessary to fight and possibly go to jail. This may negatively affect my record and keep me from getting into a certain school or job, but if I disagree with the law then I would only want to work or learn in an institution that supports me. If I am requesting work at a place that won’t give me a job because I protested something I believed in, than I would not want to work there. This is, however, entirely hypothetical, and I can only hope I would have the bravery of so many others to stand up for what I believe in.
b. I would be willing to fight for gay rights and American business policies. I feel if you have the ability to do something, you therefore have the responsibility. “Injustice everywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King. Although I am not directly affected by either of these practices, I could one day find myself the target of unfair laws, and I must fight not only for myself, but for the rest of mankind as well. The “First they came…” speech by Martin Niemöller, who stated how he failed to stand up for others, and then when he was persecuted there was no one left to stand up for him. This also speaks to what I’m saying as it is the responsibility of anyone, to help everyone, while they can.
c. I agree with Dr. King’s definition of a just law because the purpose of laws are only to help mankind. Make us all better people. Force us to be by laying down rules and constraints of what it means to be a good person. Laws are mankind trying to act like Gd, deciding right and wrong, and it is a feeble attempt. However, when a law brings down humanity than it cannot be a just law. What is bringing down humanity and what lifts it up is a matter of discussion on every law passed, but that decision can serve as an indicator to the justice found in a law.
The 1950s and 1960s were a much different time than today. Yes people are battling causes every day in which they believe in entirely, but nothing as big as civil rights. If their was as big, and from what I believe was important as the cause of civil rights back then, today then yes I would go to jail. In today’s day and age everyone has an opinion which is great, but none of these many opinions have a lot of weight in my heart to go to jail for. Now I would still peacefully protest some of these causes that I do believe in like gay rights, and lack of environmental laws. These causes are very important to me, but no enough to go to jail for, there is not one cause out there that I know of right now where my heart is completely in it and I would do anything for it… Including giving up my own rights. Dr. Kings main quote says “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.“ I do think King’s idea is correct. Unjust laws are not right, everyone was created equal and should be treated that way; and yes just laws, and moral laws should go hand in hand because for a law to be just it should be morally correct and equal for everyone. But how he brought up god in that I don’t agree on, the law of god is very widespread as we see in different religions that include god. The person of “God” has a lot of religions do a lot of different things, so I don’t know if you can say a just law is a man made code that squares with the law of god because its too religious. Just like how Eisenhower put god with the pledge of allegiance and divided the nation, I think its like the same thing with Dr. King using gods laws with just laws. Just laws should should be life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and if anyone of those rights are infringed upon then they are unjust and morally not correct.
First off I would go to jail with the civil rights workers. I realize the impact of a felon on my record but something like a felon is almost like a badge of honor. That I fought to make things right and for me to have this felon means that some else can enjoy the freedom and justice I fought for. Jail isn’t a pretty place (especially for pretty people lolz) but to fight for something that is right is a good thing. But to the list of laws that we should consider. Abortion, this one is tough I am pro-life but I disagree with it in special circumstances such as (it wont let me use the r word). I think it is more up to the family then it is the politicians. This is a law that just doesn’t win in the end. Wars and military action is not something you protest. We could have one Vietnam, on account of the Tet Offvensive and continuing backing down of aid from Russia the U.S. could have one. With a more successful withdrawal like we did in Afghanistan would have made much more sense. But the reporters and public believed we where just doing nothing useful over there. So protests began and the government got cold feat. But to the people who say military action is just oppressive and disrupting peace are clearly not well informed. Military action is for bring peace to the country. The U.S. has never currently fought a war for expansion money and power, always for peace. Immigration Laws are another tough one. To deny someone the right to enter this country for a better life because they are from a certain heritage is ironic and no better than the known nothings and the nativits. However I do understand people concerns and their definitely should be stronger laws and better checks. However the most important law is the no gay marrigage. This is the last obstacle for all americans enjoying the same amount of freedoms. The fact that gay’s cant enjoy the same rights is certianley something to fight for.
I wish I was able to say that I would go to jail over my beliefs, but I’m not sure that’s the case. Civil rights are very important and shouldn’t be taken from anyone; however, I don’t know if I would jeopardize my future for the present cause. With hindsight, it’s easy to say that I would willingly have walked into a jail cell. If I had actually grown up during that time period, I’m not sure what I would do.
I would be willing to fight against laws restricting abortion and laws restricting gay rights. I feel as though these are the issues that will be written about in history books when describing the early 21st century. I don’t understand how people can pass judgment or restrict medical procedures that concern a situation they will never be in. The fact that people making laws have never experienced something they are restricting is mind-boggling to me. It is also clear to see that there is a great need for equality and fully protected civil rights. America has a history of being close-minded, something that needs to change.
I agree with what Dr. King is saying about just or unjust laws but only to a certain extent. I do agree with what he is saying about how a just law is a moral law and how it ‘uplifts human personality.’ Laws are in place to protect the public. We follow them not just because of the consequences served from breaking them but also because we know they are morally right. However, I don’t necessarily agree with the ‘law of God’ part of Dr. King’s statement. One doesn’t need God to have sound morals. Creating laws based off of the law of God also goes against religious freedom, as well of the separation of church and state. I do agree with what Dr. King says about what makes a law unjust. If a law forces you to do something that is morally wrong, then you shouldn’t follow it.
If we’re speaking in terms of the present, I don’t believe simple protesting would be probable cause for you to be incarcerated. But if we’re referring to the time period of the 50s and sixties then I feel that I would be willing to go to jail to fight for a cause like civil rights. Though I might be charged with a felony or misdemeanor, I would hope those charges would be dropped if the law that I’m protesting against is found unconstitutional. Without all your inalienable rights, you’re already living a life of hypothetical incarceration. You are not yet fully free. So yes, I would be willing to go to jail if it meant that eventually those on the other sides of the bars will experience freedom.
Referring to the list of laws I feel that a few of them are unjust, while others are just irritating. The fact that same sex marriage is outlawed in the majority of states is extremely unconstitutional, not only is it unconstitutional, it violates the pursuit of happiness. These people are not harming anyone else, they are not downgrading anyone else’s marriage they simply want to marry so that they can live a happy and financially secure life. The fact that in Arizona, warrantless arrest can be made, if the officer has probable cause that someone is in the country illegally is appalling. In this case what is probable cause? Skin color? This sounds more like racial profiling to me. Lastly, laws that claim to protect against voter fraud but suppress the votes of minorities are extremely unjust. Laws have been passed that restrict early voting as well as require government issued I.d. in order to vote. This ultimately suppresses the minority vote that mostly goes to the democrats. Laws against piracy and illegal downloading are not unjust but are annoying. You’re supposed to pay $1.29 for an audio file, not even a physical object, that you can’t even use any way you’d like. Although you’ve technically “bought” a song. You have no rights to it and can’t put the entirety of it in any of your works without proper permission. I agree strongly with the way Martin Luther King Jr. articulates what makes a law unjust and what makes it just. When you can’t rely on the law to ensure that laws are just, you have to rely on your own moral compass. However everyone has different morals so Dr. King specifies unjust laws being laws that destroy a person’s character. Laws should be to protect people not destroy, and in the case of destruction the law is unjust.
Please disregard my previous entry
a. I firmly believe in the rights of the individual. When the issue comes to my attention as it no doubt would during the civil rights movement of the 1960’s I would do anything within my power to ensure that no one was denied the right to equality, freedom from the fear of violence and above all freedom of self determination.
b. The question here is not “will you go to jail for what you believe?” but rather “what are you willing to go to jail for?” for me the ultimate moral failure is depriving a person of agency over their own body, mind, or estate. I do not denounce federal taxes or similar fees in much the same way I do not neglect to pay for a meal I’ve eaten at a restaurant for when we choose to live in a country like the united states where we reap benefits such as roads and public schools we in doing so consent to help pay for them. I do however demand autonomy over my own body and would gladly sacrifice it to ensure others maintain autonomy over theres. It is a violation of an individual’s autonomy to deny them the right to make decisions that affect only themselves. These decisions include deciding weather or not to undergo abortion, make modifications to their own body such as gender reassignment or getting tattoos or piercings, or being denied the right to believe and practice in whatever manner does not infringe on the autonomy of others. Such infringements on the individuality of human beings is entirely unacceptable and inexcusable. It for the maintenance and protection of the freedom and individuality that truly worthy sacrifices can and undoubtedly will be made. I am willing to make any sacrifice even the ultimate one ensure that each person is master of their own fate. Being master of ones own fate does not include the right to infringe on the well being of others. There is no greater affront than depriving someone of their own personal agency. But each and every Woman, Man, and member of every other gender must be free to decide for themselves who they are to be and to decide what to do with that.
c. I have unsurmountable respect for Dr. King as I do for all who have endured challenged and triumphed in the face of injustice. Note that when I say triumphed I do not claim true equality exists today only that major victories have been won and great strides have been made. I however must disagree with his ideas of justice and injustice lying with the “uplifting” and “degrading” of “human personality”. I argue the force that directly makes law just is the consent of those effected by it. It stands to reason that laws that uplift would have consent, and laws that degrade would not.
I think I would be willing to go to jail to protest unjust laws despite the effect I would put on my record. If people are being mistreated, someone has to say something and the future of the country should be the ones to do it. If they were to throw me in jail, yes it would possibly affect me getting a job, but since when does money equal happiness? I would much rather be homeless and fighting for something I believe in than have a well paying job and I sit back and watch the social injustices happen.
I believe that the most unjust laws to women are the laws on abortion. We now have the technology to get the baby safely out of the mother without harm to the mother. Now, we could argue for years about at what stage the fetus is actually living, but the way I see it is that the baby does not have a free will that the mother has. I don’t believe that I personally would have the heart to get an abortion myself, but the option should be open to every female. Our government should not have a say as to what we do with our bodies; it’s that simple. For example, what if a woman is raped and she finds she becomes pregnant. She could be sixteen and not ready for a child, in addition to being emotionally scared. She should be able to not have it, if that is what she decides. Or what about a woman who has a boyfriend and they know they are not ready to support a child or even go through pregnancy? Or if having a child out of marriage would make them shamed by their religion? I just don’t see why male politicians (cough, cough Republicans) would want to take away our rights to liberty to do what we want. Sorry if I offended anyone, just my opinion.
I sort of agree with Martin Luther King’s reasoning of an unjust law; however, I think it is a bit vague. This could be left up to the common man’s interpretation. I have different morals and different views of God than the next guy, so what we view as unjust laws will differ. For example, if I were to say that restrictions against gay marriage is morally unjust, someone else who is more conservative might say that it is not unjust and these homosexuals are just acting irrationally and acting against God’s natural law. I wouldn’t know how to make King’s claim more specific, but I do know it does not cover all the necessary basics that classify an unjust and immoral law.
Considering what could happen to my future, I personally would not go to jail to protest something I was passionate about. Dont get me wrong I would go really far to protect or fight for something that I love, but I would never go to jail. I feel like if you go to jail then there isn’t much you can do from there. You proved a point but then what? There are so many things I would like to do and accomplish in my life, and jeopardizing my opportunities for the future just doesn’t seem like it is worth it. Like there are so many things that are less radical that you can do.
Okay so for like abortion I think that everyone should have the ability to make their own decisions regarding their own body and I dont think its necessarily anyone elses business as to what you are doing with it. I don’t really see how such a personal decision affects everyone else. On that note I feel the same way about gay marriage. Like I dont really see why people think its such a problem and that bothers me. if they legalize gay marriage its not like you are required to marry someone of the same gender and its not like not legalizing gay marriage is going to stop gay people from being together. So its just kind of silly in my opinion because unless its you, it doesnt really change anything about your life.
I agree with Dr. Kings statement about unjust laws. “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” for this part of the quote I think there is some flaw in it though. This is because everyone has different beliefs and ideas on what “degrades human personality” therefore its not necessarily a great way to decide whether or not the law is okay or not. It general I think that everyone should feel good about the law but in reality that is not possible. The united states is a society made of different people, with different cultures, from different countries, it would never be fair to ask everyone to agree because that literally impossible.
Honestly, I don’t think I would be willing to go to jail over fighting for a cause. Maybe in different circumstances, in a country where I felt incredibly strongly about a cause I would but today in America, although there are topics I would advocate for, I don’t think there is anything pressing enough for me to go to jail over. Today it is easier to campaign for a cause using social media, technology and other peaceful methods. I think that considering the effect jailtime would have on my future I would try to use all other paths to stand up before I risked arrest.
Current causes I’d definitely be willing to stand up for include gay rights and pro-choice laws regarding abortion. One of the best things America has always had to offer was freedom- and today, some of the freedoms are being taken away. Gay marriage and other gay rights, to me, seem like a no brainer. We live in a country, and a world for that matter, where millions of people suffer everyday from poverty, homelessness, hunger and disease. Why waste time and money fighting the union of two people who love eachother? Most people who are anti-gay marriage lives would not be changed if it were legal. We live in a country where people have freedom of religion. There are no religious laws that dictates American laws, so why should this be any different?
Also abortion is a big debated issue. It is touchy for many who both religiously and scientifically disapprove. While I’m not pro-abortion, I think that women should have the choice to do as they please with their bodies, and laws should not have the right to take it away. It is no one’s business what another person does with their body.
I agree with Dr. King’s reasoning on what makes a law just or unjust. Common sense is important, and so is doing what seems and is right. Of course laws against murder are not up for valid arguement like segregation laws. There are laws that keep the country in order and in a state of goodness, and there are laws that infringe on rights and go against American moral and those are the ones people should fight against.
A. At first, I thought I would absolutely go to jail to protest unjust laws like the Civil Rights workers in the 1950’s and 1960’s. I can see myself marching in protests and attending rallies and speeches, but, the more I thought about it, I am not so sure I would go to jail for the cause because the ramifications are too great. I really admire those brave men and women who stood up for their rights and for the rights of others. The lifelong consequences of getting arrested would outweigh what I believed in. As selfish as it may sound, I would be willing to fight against unjust laws up to the point of getting arrested. When push comes to shove, I guess I am not as courageous as I thought I was.
B. I would be willing to fight for gay rights because I truly believe that people should be given the same rights regardless of their sexuality. I was taught from an early age that everyone should be treated equally, no matter their race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality. Gay rights and gay marriage are not harmful to any segment of society. I would also fight for abortion rights because I believe a woman has the right to make decisions concerning her body. It is hard for me to believe that someone else besides the woman involved, has a say in the decision about abortion. The other laws listed may be unjust, but in my opinion, they are not as important as gay rights or the right to choose.
C. I agree with Dr. King that a law is just if it uplifts human personality. And, it must coexist with moral law. The problem is that not everyone shares the same morals, so there is no way to please everybody. A law should benefit the greater good and be accepted by all different types of people in society.
I would not be willing to go to jail for a cause right now. Looking at conditions in jail, how it would look to other people, how it would affect my future, none of it looks promising in a positive light. Giving it all up for one thing that I couldn’t let go of or deal with differently privately. I don’t disagree with any law to such a degree, that I know of, that I’m willing to incorporate into my life so strongly. So in order to go to jail for a cause, it would have to be for something affecting me exceptionally strongly in my personal everyday life.
The laws that stand out to me right now are abortion, gay rights, environmental damage, and the behavior of American companies. Abortion is a perfectly fine thing to do under certain circumstances. A parents first responsibility is to provide care for their child, secondly comes love. I read this somewhere and even until now I’m not sure I agree with it; however I do agree it’s important to be able to take care of your child. I read a study about crime in America, and how it connected to abortion. Crime rates peaked when a generation of adolescents, belonging to teenage mothers or otherwise incapable parents, reached their teen years. It does not seem right to me to bring a child into the world when he or she can’t be cared for. Of course this should be taken into account beforehand and pregnancy avoided before ready to begin with, but it cannot always be avoided. Sometimes, even if precautions are taken, there is something faulty with them. Then of course there is none consensual sex. I’ve read two books that specifically address forced sex. One has become a favorite, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, shows the psychological effect being raped has on this young girl, Melinda. She stops speaking because of feelings of shame, wondering if it was somehow her fault, fear because her friends left her and IT, as she refers to the offender, still goes to the same school as her. Now imagine those feelings escalated because of a pregnancy that resulted, as it did with the girl in the other book I read. This girl was raped, gave birth, and gave the child away. Among other feelings about being sexually offended, she has to deal with the conflicting love, disgust, and regret of having a child. Little things like remembering it was the child’s birthday hurt her. If these feelings can be softened by abortion, if crime rates will go down saving more lives than the one that was cut short, then I believe abortion should be allowed.
If I were gay, and if gay’s were less accepted than they are now, I think it may have been a cause to go to jail for. I just finished reading Rapture Practice by Aaron Hartzler, where in an extremely religious family with parents who forbade music with prominent drum beats as the devil’s music and movies because they don’t please the Lord, Aaron struggles to protect his parents from who he is becoming; a boy who likes rock music by non Christian singers, sneaks out to movies, and might be finding out he is gay. In the book gay is labeled as an ABOMINATION, in capital letters and all. It strikes me as sickening to tell someone a feeling of love is an abomination. It bothers me when I hear people say “gay” or “faggot”, jokingly or seriously, as an insult. It bothers me when people assume you yourself are gay if you advocate gay rights, it bothers me that I feel the need to put a disclaimer in this paragraph saying I’m not gay because classmates have access to this opinion of mine and could misunderstand, and it bothers me that gay rights even have to be a debated issue.
Environmental damage and the behavior of American Companies are not subjects I spend so much time thinking about, but every time they are brought up I wish more was done to protect the environment and stop sweatshops, dumps, and the like. There used to be these two beautiful evergreen trees across from my house covering the front of our neighbor’s house. These trees had the kind of majestic enthralling charm that directors would kill to use in a movie if they ever needed a scene with trees. One of them got hit by lightning and needed to be cleared. The other one the homeowners decided to chop down because they were trying to sell the house and something demented them into thinking it was a bright idea to showcase the hideously mundane house front instead of that tree that made you want to go write an adventure novel about traveling in a forest. There should have been something to stop them from taking down that tree. Or at least have some kind of requirement for the people cutting the trees to understand what they are doing, instead of the pig that said we were “tree hugging hippies” just because our family possesses three sets of working eyes that could tell something beautiful was being lost.
I agree with Dr. King about moral law, not about God’s law. Many different God’s have many different laws many of which I don’t agree with. Of course religion introduces lots of laws I agree with as well, but if I think God’s word is law, I think that refers to all the laws and I can’t agree with all of them. I can wholly agree with moral law, but that begs the question what is moral? Who gets to decide? For me it seems obvious, just my own instinctual feelings birthed through the society I live in about what is right and wrong. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately depending on how you’re looking at it, not all people have the same personal morals.
In my opinion, I would only protest against laws if they were really obnoxious or sinister. Otherwise, I am NOT willing to go to jail to protest against something unjust. Unless the law involved something that needed to include me that would put me in jail anyway, I would not protest. There isn’t really a need for me to protest since other people already do it. The only thing I might protest against would be access of American shops and the military draft. I would protest against sweatshops because of the terrible conditions some manufacturers still use on their employees. In other countries where manufacturing of goods is more common, some places still use harsh conditions within sweatshops and fore employees to work long, hard hours. Even though I think its wrong to have people working in such ways, I still wouldn’t protest because I just don’t need or want to go to jail. I would also pretest against the daft if I needed to. I can understand if the American military needs to drafts Americans into the army, because if we didn’t in certain situations, our country could be conquered. Yet, there are many Americans that don’t want or need to be in the military. Our American army is one of, if not the top army in the world. I really don’t think the American military needs to draft people with all of the modern equipment and amount of soldiers already in the military. I also might protest against some of the immigration laws in Arizona because some of the people crossing the border illegally are searching for a better life than the one they had back in Mexico. Not every mexican coming across the border is smuggling drugs or harboring fugitives and criminals. We really should just allow access to all people and check each person crossing the border to make sure they are clean. We should also set up more guarded border crossing o mexicans can become legal american citizens. I kinda agree with MLK’s opinion on what laws are just and unjust. Yes, some laws aren’t the best, but we can just go out and protest any law that we don’t like. Things that make laws unjust is whether or not the law messes with our natural, human rights. If a law doesn’t mess with those rights, then the law is probably not worth the time of protest.
Personally I would not be willing to go to jail in protest of any law in the United States. This is not because I 100% agree with every law in the united states, i’m just really afraid of going to jail. Although my cowardice prevents me from protesting to the point of jail time I greatly respect those who are willing to fight too the end for what they believe in. Out of all the listed laws in the united states at this time the ones I would definitely fight for are marriage equality and i would also fight against the draft. I would strongly defend the rights of any individual who wants to get married because why not? In 2014 we are no longer a completely Christian America, so why are our laws being made by the laws written in the bible? By the way if Gay marriage is illegal in many states why is eating meat on Friday, eating shellfish, adultery and lying all still legal. I don’t understand why members of congress can pick and choose which parts of the bible become state laws (if that’s the defense their going with). And why are our laws even loosely based on a religious text that only a fraction of the population is familiar with. I would defend my right to choose whether or not to join the army because, maybe I’m not willing to risk my life for whatever the government decides is protecting the well being of the nation. And the population of America is definitely big enough for enough people to enlist voluntarily and not hate the U.S for putting them in a potentially life threatening situation. As for Dr. Kings reasoning on what makes a law just, i think that what makes a law just is one that does not infringe on the rights of a person while at the same time protects the well being of another. In other words; a good law protects people from each other and not from themselves. I don’t think that laws should be set into place just because the actions in which the law is preventing breaks the majority of the populations moral code when the law in question does no harm but to the person committing the action being subject to review. Basically if i want to damage myself why should the government be able to tell me not to? #legalizeit Gary Johnson 2016.
A. I would protest against an unjust law if I felt very passionate about it, even though jail could be a hard outcome due to the protesting. If you feel strongly about something and that their should be a change to get rid of an unjust law that would affect not only you but everyone else in a positive way, you should support it, especially if there are many other people who feel the same way you do. Even if you are not the main leader of the protest, your opinion can help change the law and society for the better.
B. Laws that I wouldn’t approve of are environmental damage/ lack of environmental laws and restriction of gay rights. Dealing with the environment, its important to take care of it, especially since you don’t know when any of these natural resources will run out. A couple environmental laws will be able to keep the environment together instead of more damaged. I don’t think there should be a restriction on gay rights because everyone should be treated equally and have the same rights. Despite someone’s gender, race, etc. no one should be restricted from rights other people have or treated differently from the next person. There are other laws on the list that might be questionable, like the immigration laws, lack of jobs and actions of an American company, but I think I would need to have more information about it.
C. I do agree with Martin Luther King on what makes a law just/ unjust because he basically says that if a law is just it affects the human race in a positive way and is most likely for the better of everyone and the country. If it is an unjust law its something that isn’t fair and degrades human personality
If asked if I was willing to go to jail and have these things placed on my permanent record, my answer would be a definite no. Right now, I can’t think of any protest that I would feel so strongly to protest for and be hauled of to jail for, just so I could be right. I think the fact that the protesters in the 1950s and 60s were fighting for such a bigger cause than the ones we have today that to some of them, the choice was clear- protest and if jail is in my future then I go fighting for it. I’m not saying that today’s acts aren’t good enough to fight for, I;m just saying that to me they aren’t as a large a scale as desegregation. To me, and maybe this is a little selfish, my future is a little more important to me than sitting around with a picket sign and wasting time protesting. I think that in the end, God will solve the problems that we are fighting for and about. Looking up at the list above if i HAD to choose one thing to protest for, I guess it would be #10, the behaviors and actions of Americans and their companies. I think that all Americans and all people really should be treated well, and that sweatshops though productive and cheap are inhumane and awful towards other people and children. I would want to fight for their equal rights to working and safety as the rest of us and that we shouldn’t be so selfish and greedy for our material products that we inflict such pain on innocent people. Though I support this protest, I would put my future career and record on the line to be sent to jail. I’d donate money or do anything I could that WOULDN’T get me sent to jail. I agree with what Dr. King has to say about laws being just or unjust. I agree with the fact that laws that uplift the human spirit are just and good, and the ones that degrade the human spirit are unjust. I think that we should have rules and laws in our country that are helpful towards the people and make them feel good and safe, not laws that restrict us or make us feel unhappy or unsafe. I do know how hard it is, on the other hand, to create laws that make everybody in that country happy and “just”. Because there are so many people with different opinions, there will always be a law that makes someone or some group unhappy and feel “unjust”.
I would be willing to go to jail to protest laws that I think are unjust. I wouldn’t protest speed limits or simple stuff like that. Speed limits keep people from getting in accidents and keep everything orderly. So, if a law protects people’s safety, then I see no reason to protest it (with a few exceptions-ex. Banning books). I’d protest stuff that could change our society for the better, like the Civil Rights workers did. I’d be willing to go to jail because acting out like that could inspire someone to do the same and let others know what’s going on. Someone has to start it. I realize this would have a big impact on my future. It would be hard to get jobs and stuff like that but if I’m standing up for what I believe in then I’m ok with it. It’s not like I murdered anyone. I’d be willing to fight for laws against abortion because, as a woman, it directly affects me. I’d be willing to fight for gay rights because I think it’s a separation of church and state issue. I would be 110% willing to fight for lower tuitions for colleges and all the economics behind that because I don’t want to come out of college with a ton of debt that takes years to pay off. That debt will screw up my finical situation for the rest of my life. So, yeah I’d be willing to spend a few months in jail if it meant I stood up for what I believe in and hopefully don’t end up with so much debt when I come out of college. I definitely agree with Dr. King’s statement about laws. However, there are some limitations. If a law is set in place to protect people, maintain the peace, etc. then it should be a just law. If there’s some corruption behind that law, like how Jim Crow laws were set to “maintain the peace between blacks and whites”, then that law is unjust. Laws need to be fairly created and reflect the wishes of the people. You have the right to protest any law you want because that’s your right. But just because you’re offended, that doesn’t make you right.
I am willing to protest for my beliefs because I want to be heard and make change if it’s something that I feel is unjust. I am willing to go jail for (nothing to violent) my beliefs like being pro-gay rights, prochoice on abortion and against environment damage. Considering the ramifications of jail time I would set that aside If I believe strongly enough for the cause. The only law that I’m against (that I can think of right now)is not wearing helmets on motorcycles because one its idiotic not to wear one yes I understand that its “freedom” and “expression” but to risk injury to your head is not smart. Ive had family members who have gotten hurt from this and those who support it and those who don’t that’s probably why I feel so strongly about this. The laws I’m for are equality to for gays, women and all race (anyone in general) our country was founded on equality let’s keep it that way. I am also pro saving the environment this is the only planet we have and it has some really cool natural features let’s not destroy them. I am pro-gun also I believe you can own an assault rifle but there should be test’s to see if you can own one or not also everyone has the right to defend themselves and their family may it be with force or not. I do not however condone stupid use of guns like fooling around with guns or committing unspeakable acts with them they are a tool not a toy. I agree on what Dr. King is saying his opinion of a just law in spot on a law that is morally sound I’m cool with. I also like his idea of an unjust law even knowing we can’t just disobey laws we can fight them. Witch I think is what he is saying.
I would definitely think about fighting for a law if I thought it was unjust and it affected me directly. For instance, if I was pregnant, and I wanted an abortion because I knew that if I had the child it wouldn’t be fair for them because I wouldn’t be able to raise them correctly and they would grow up in a poor environment, then I would fight against the law. If the law did not affect me directly I wouldn’t fight it with the chance of going to jail because although I would agree with the people fighting for it, I wouldn’t want to ruin my future. I would still support the people I just wouldn’t fight with them.
There is a law that I would be willing to fight against, that law being restrictions against abortion. I think if a girl is pregnant, if she thinks the best thing was to get an abortion, she should be able to. Maybe the person knew that the child wouldn’t be able to be raised properly and they wouldn’t be able to handle it. Maybe the person doesn’t have the money to raise another person and thinks abortion is the best choice.
I do agree with Dr. King’s reasoning “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.” I think that if a law is unjust, you would know because it wouldn’t really be helping anyone in the long run, it would be degrading, and no one would really agree with the unjust law. You would also know if the law was just because it would be helping people and there would be a majority of people that agreed with the law.
When thinking about the ramifications of felonies/misdemeanors on my record and the implication it’ll have on my future careers, it’s hard to decided if I would go to jail or not. But I think depending on what it was, I would go to jail. If I (or others) are already being denied rights, than why not keep fighting. Things like abortion, gay rights, or denial of allowing one to make their own personal choice (depending on how greatly it affects me). Someone taking birth control or getting an abortion has absolutely no effect on the nation as a whole. At the most it effects the few very close people (even then it’s a personal choice), so why should the government/other people have a say in whether or not you should do something. It’s not the governments job to regulate someone’s personal moral code. Along with that everyone’s moral code is different. Some people are down with mixing meat and milk and some people aren’t, and just because some people aren’t that doesn’t mean it should be outlawed for everyone. Even then the government outlawing something doesn’t mean people are necessarily stop doing it. People will just be forced to turn to other unsafe, more illegal options (such as backdoor abortion, and unregulated drugs).
I agree with the statement “any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust”. I don’t so agree with the second statement “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.” due to everyone having different moral laws and different laws of god (since everyone has a different view/different god).
In a realistic manner, I would most likely not go to jail for most of these causes if not all of them. The only cause that I find unjust enough that I would risk going to jail for, maybe, is protesting against a world war or other military actions. I can agree that I can stand up for my rights and protest like many did in the 1950’s and 1960’s. This was a time when civil rights had to be given to everyone and not depending on the color of one’s skin. If there was a current war which could lead to a very serious nuclear war (very possible in our time), I would want to protest and go against this. I could say I am for non-violent protesting as long as it actually stays non-violent and has a real effect on it. Also I am not one to start a huge uproar and a protest with me being the leader of it. If others were already fighting for war to end, I could say that I might join them. With a topic as serious as war, it is worth “going to jail for”. If the United States of America and another country were debating on using nuclear weapons on each other, I would do anything it takes (going to jail) to fight against this and make it not happen. I don’t want to witness in my lifetime a world war in which nuclear weapons are fired at countries.
I realize why protesting during the civil rights movement was such an important thing, and at this point in time in America nothing, in my opinion, is as important as that was. I have to agree with what MLK said about just and unjust laws. Unjust laws are exactly what he said. They are laws that are human laws which aren’t rooted in eternal and natural law. What MLK stated is very true and unjust laws are simply unfair laws.
Well, seeing as I’m african american there may have been some things i would have gone to jail for. For instance, i believe that i would have been willing to go to jail for protesting during the civil rights movement. Nowadays there isn’t much that i would go to jail for. The main possible problem that i would be incarcerated for, which is racism and laws involving it, has been resolved for the most part. I think i would rather go to jail than be drafted into the military though. Also with this generation, and imagining that there was a draft, i feel that many draftees who don’t want to go to war would desert immediately. This generation wants success without work and that would carry over to any foreign country a draftee is sent. I may be willing to go to jail for anti-war protests, but that all depends on my knowledge of a current war which is usually at a minimum. Lets assume i do know about the war and there are travesties occurring due to US involvement i would be fine to protest. when it comes to immigration i have no connection with that issue so i would not go to jail for it. When it comes to the 1% vs. 99% i have no legitimate problem with that and i think thats just how America works. In regards to what dr. king said, i think he is mostly right but some of gods laws are being overturned. Americas gradual acceptance of gay rights is not in tune with the laws of god. Moral laws and the majority of gods other laws are upheld and in regards to those specific laws i think MLK is correct. What i think i would go to jail for, specific reasons, is war, jobs when I’m part of the work force and the draft.
If I were living in the 50’s and 60’s I think that I would definitely try to fight for civil rights but I don’t know if I would be willing to go to jail for it. I definitely wouldn’t have participated in an violent riots that I knew would probably send me to jail. I have a lot of respect for the men and women during that time that were willing to go to prison for their cause like Rosa Parks and Dr. King but I don’t know if I would be able to do it.
Nowadays there are a lot of causes that I would be willing to fight for but I still don’t think I would be willing to go to prison for them. I believe strongly in fighting for gay marriage because I don’t think there is any reason that it should be illegal. I also would be willing to fight against animal testing because I think it is morally and ethically wrong. I try not to buy any products that have been tested on animals. I believe strongly in these causes but I still don’t think I could go to jail for them. Going to prison would have a lot of effects on my future and it would most likely follow me for the rest of my life. My parents had to delay their wedding because my grandfather was in prison for a short period of time for peacefully protesting against the School of Americas. I respect my grandfather a lot for his actions and standing up for what he belives in. I’m very proud of him, its just not something I would be able to do.
I do agree with Dr. King’s definition of a just law. I think a just law should be a moral. I also agree with his statement that “any law that uplifts human personality is just.”
I know and fully understand that I am one of the luckiest people in the world, simply because I was born in such a loving and understanding time and country. I have never been mistreated in any way and haven’t been forced to witness mistreatment. Although I won’t pretend that this country is perfect, I am not going to complain because everything is not always perfect. People need to understand that it is never going to be perfect, and nearly every problem is in the road to being fixed as we speak. As Americans, we collectively need to stop complaining about every single problem in our li are legally allowed to believe in, as it is allowed to be whatever god we choose, that we happened to be born with all the opportunities we have.
America does have it’s issues, as time progresses and people become more aware and tolerant of one another, the laws need their own time to catch up with public opinion. This is a natural thing, and it will happen, as change does need to be made. For instance, the US does not have a national religion, which in turn means that the specific morals of one religion shouldn’t be reflected in our laws. The Constitution gives each individual the right to his or her own body; therefore laws banning abortion are completely unfair. On a related subject, the progressive movement to give gay and lesbian couples the right to get married is an overdue law that cannot and should not be stalled any more. All Americans, and people for that matter, should be able to legally love each other. Also, considering America is “the land of the free,” we should be letting more people from foreign countries in and deporting less. The US has always been made up of immigrants, and if we cut off the supply of the American dream, we will lose both are integrity and our spirit as a nation. I suppose that these are the laws I would be willing to fight for, while trying to remember not to overreact considering all I have compared to the majority of the world.
I do agree with Martin Luther King Jr.’s opinion as to what unjust versus just laws are, however it is very difficult to decide what goes against or along with human morality. This is why our system of democracy is so important, because what the majority of the people want should realistically be what the country decides on. The importance of the first amendment, especially the right to protest, comes into play here. The Civil Rights Movement, although extreme, was a perfect demonstration of how America makes change and will continue to make change in our future.
Right now, I wouldn’t be willing to go to jail, and back in the 1950s and 60s; I probably wouldn’t have been willing either. I understand why people would have been willing, but I don’t think the consequences would be worth it in the long run, even if it was for something you strongly support. Having a criminal record would really impact getting into college and applying for jobs, even years from being arrested. I would have supported civil rights; I just wouldn’t have gotten myself put in jail. Regarding unjust laws today, I believe that some of them are too restricting. If someone wants an abortion, I think they should be able to if it is in the best interest of that woman and the baby. I think it is a better solution than bringing a child into the world who might not be well taken care of if the mother is single, or not ready emotionally, physically or economically to raise a child. Also, people should be definitely be able to marry whoever they love. Honestly, I don’t understand why people are so against gay marriage and why they think they can restrict someone on a very important part of their life just because of their beliefs. Another thing I don’t understand is what the people who are against gay marriage think will happen if they do legalize it. The world won’t come to an end. I think people should spend less time worrying about what will happen if gay marriage occurs and more about what will happen to the earth if we don’t do more to protect it. There should always be more laws being created or upgraded because situations are always changing because humans are just coming up with more ways to mess up the environment. Dr. King stated, “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” I think this is completely true. For example, it’s pretty degrading to human personality to restrict certain people against marriage.
I would be willing to go to jail to protest unjust laws like the Civil Rights workers had during the 1950s and 1960s and I most definitely would have if I were in America and out of high school in the 1950s and 1960s. When there is not only an unjust law, but an egregiously unjust law that endangers the lives of millions of Americans, such as the laws against blacks before Civil Rights, it would be my duty to act out against the terrible laws. I would be willing to fight against laws restricting abortion, against immigration laws like the one in Arizona, and for gay rights. I believe that it is not within the rights of the government to limit ones rights that do not have harm on others. Whether or not a woman has an abortion should be her decision. If a woman is not ready to raise a child they should not be forced to. To quote a poster my sister held at a women’s rights rally, “Don’t trust me with a choice but with a child?” If the government does not trust a woman to decide whether or not to have a kid, should they be trusted with raising the kid? As for immigration rights, I am not entirely sure where I stand on this issue at large, but the Arizona law requiring all aliens to have their documents on their person at all times is outrageous. If immigrants need to have their papers, shouldn’t citizens as well? This law does not make sense whatsoever and immigrants should be treated as one treats a house guest, not an intruder. With regards to gay rights, I believe that anyone should be able to marry whomever they want. One does not choose their sexual orientation, and they should not be punished for it. Gay marriage would not hurt heterosexual marriages, so how does it make sense to ban it? Another thing I would be willing to fight for and as all the others serve jail time for is for more public mental hospitals and general mental health reform. I believe that many of our problems, especially regarding shootings and other violence, has to do with the vast deficiencies in our mental health system. It is not easy enough for people to seek help or receive help and a big step towards that would be the reopening of the state mental hospitals. I agree with Dr. King’s reasoning with what makes a law just or unjust to a degree. I agree that, “a just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law,” but I do not agree that it squares with the law of God, as that is a personal choice, separate from man’s law (separation of church and state). I also agree that, “any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” Unless the law that uplifts human personality degrades it for someone else or is detrimental to the safety of the people.
Considering the consequences of going to jail and having jail put on my permanent record, heck yea I would go to jail for equal rights. It is the right thing to do and it is what I believe in. Even though I could possibly lose my rights I believe it is a worthy sacrifice to give many more people their rights. There are not many things that I would protest for but some of the things I would protest for are gay marriage, abortion, and in the future I’m sure there will be more things to disagree upon. Gay marriage first off is very important to me because I believe that it is a person’s right to love anyone that they please and that they should be able to marry this person no matter their sex. Abortion as well because I believe that if a woman does not think they can raise a baby into a safe, nurturing environment, than they should be able to keep that from happening (It’s not like it is a pleasurable thing to do, but it should be an option). But things like taxes and piracy I don’t have a burning hate for because I am not an artist or tax payer. I also know that there are trending apps on the app store based entirely on downloading music for free. And I do not believe protesting for saving rainforests or using less power is as effective as protests that are more immediate and obvious. I do agree that an unjust law is no law at all because, even though there are many examples of laws that are also unjust, It is simple to show that these laws are not, and should not exist, And for this reason I believe that laws like ones regarding gay marriage are unjust and should not be included in our laws.
Out of the list of topics given, I would be willing to go to jail over none of them. Though, if some situations are met I would be willing to go to jail over lack of environmental laws. I would be extremely willing to go to jail for countering laws they require you to be religious, or gives exception for those who are religious. Such as in South Carolina where the constitution says “No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution.” Or in Maryland in which there constitution reads “That no religious test ought ever to be required as a qualification for any office of profit or trust in this State, other than a declaration of belief in the existence of God; nor shall the Legislature prescribe any other oath of office than the oath prescribed by this Constitution.” Both of these state constitutions hold it very clear that no one who is atheist may hold any form of public office. There are 5 other states that hold similar laws banning atheists from holding office. Another cause I would be willing to go to jail for is the resecularization of the U.S government. I feel that the separation of the church and state in the U.S should be complete in all regards. Churches should pay taxes, we should change the motto of the U.S back to E pluribus unum from in god we trust, replace in god we trust on all government items. Up until 1956 it was E pluribus unum, we changed it in a smear attempt to make the communist seem godless to little effect. All of what was listed previously is a breach of the first amendment prohibiting any law from establishing certain religion or validating some over others. These laws force religions requirements and endorse monotheism over polytheism, thus establishing a certain brand of religion. I also feel that the tradition of swearing on a bible should be replaced with something more relevant to the country, such as the constitution, rather than religion. This would be a way of swearing upon everything the country is structured upon. Though this is not a law, merely a tradition and is not something one could go to jail for.
At this current point in time and with my current relevance/significance to the rest of the world, it would be pointless for me to go to jail for a cause; therefore I am not willing to go to jail to fight a cause. If all of the stars align and I have the ability to have media influence, then I would go to jail to protest a law. I truly hate using my race for as an excuse in any situation, but it is appropriate here. When Martin Luther King Jr went to jail in 1963, he was not only a well-known civil rights leader, but the number of black men in jail was not nearly as high as it is today. If I were go to jail today, I would only be fitting a stereotype that destroys the authenticity of my protest. The effectiveness of being incarcerated only works, because it shows that people are willing to go against the grain through extreme measures for a cause. If I did this today, I would not only be going with the grain, but I would be contributing to the idea of “cleaning up the streets.” If I did have the opportunity to be influential, the only subject I would go to jail for, on the list above would be economic issues (#5). This topic can be viewed very broadly. I see this as including most issues regarding money (i.e. education, housing, social security, taxes, government spending, etc.). Working towards a solution to some problems facing us today (regarding economics), could help us through most of the other problems listed. A strong financial backing can lead to a more stable nation in all areas. I do disagree with MLK’s statement about what defines the justness of a law. If I could re-word it, I would say that; a law by the people is just, while a law for people is unjust.
I would love to say that I wold bre willing to go to jail because a law in unjst today; however, I’m not. I almost feel bad for saying this because, you are taught you whole life to sick up for what u believe in, there was never any hidden asterisk that said unless you will be jailed. If I was living in the 60’s I would like to think I would fight the hell out of civil rights. Being of African American descents I would think its only right to fight for my ancestors and all that they had to do and make things right for my future generations… even if that means going to jail or getting sprayed with water hoses or attacked by dogs. Today I’m more afraid of the ramification that goes along with jail more than the actual jail time itself. Although I wouldn’t go to jail I would defiantly fight for equal marriage rights. I want to live in a world that allows everyone to be happy, and I don’t feel that it’s right to govern people of many religious with just one. With that one that doesn’t allow you to eat meat on Friday or shellfish at all, wear wool or cotton, or work or do anything on Sunday but pray. It looks like the NFL has been sinning for quite some time now and no one even cares, but when two people love each other want to get married and they just happen to be the same gender, that’s when we choose to use religion? With less than 20% of the American population who go to church as much as the American government like to think they do, it’s not fair that congress can pick and choose when they can pull the religion card, when in fact they are just trying to cover the fact that they are homophobic and are afraid of change. Why are we using a book written in 12th century BCE, on thing that we r doing now in 2014. I thought American was supposed to be the land of the free, I didn’t know you had to be straight to be free. What Dr. King was saying still rings true to today? He spoke about not letting laws that do not degrade human personality and there equality in this nation. I believe he was trying to say that a good law protects while allowing people to be whom ever they want, not putting a limit on human happiness; even if you may not have the same views.
After weighing the options and contemplating the different scenarios possible after going to jail, I personally would not go to jail for something I believe in. Although this is not in my best interest, I believe that sometimes it is necessary and the right thing to do when fighting for a cause against all odds like Ghandi and MLK. I am pro choice concerning abortion. I believe that it is the right of the mother to decide what is best for her life and ultimately the babies’. If the mother is struggling to make ends meet and knows that the baby will not grow up in a nurturing environment or does not have sufficient funds to support it, she should have the choice of abortion. Another topic I am strongly against, along with the majority of sane Americans, is the ban on gay marriage. What does two people getting married have to do with you, your life, or in any way effect you? It doesn’t. Also, the ban is based off of a book written thousands of years ago, following the guidelines of one religion in the world. With this said, I don’t believe the Bible should constitute or have any power over the marriage of any individuals. I would be willing to fight against the ban on gay marriage, but abortion does not apply to men for obvious reasons. I agree with the opinions of Martin Luther King for many reasons. For a law to be just, it has to be in line with the rights of individuals and the natural ability to make decisions for the good of man and oneself. When a law is unjust, it is taking away from the opportunities of man to strive for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, (within reason) and therefor ruins the basis of our rights.
I would go to jail for a cause, but I believe that I would only go if it were a peaceful protest as opposed to a protest resulting in violence. I believe; 1. That I could escape police if a riot turned bad, 2. I’m good with words. I think that if I were protesting something I would stand for going to prison, if it would help the cause, I wouldn’t go for a ghandi-ish reason like overflowing prisons because I feel prisons are already overcrowded and Jay Moak aint about that 3 to a cell life. I honestly wouldn’t care that it would show up on my personal record, because really, life is kind of boring if you think about it, and it’s fun to break the rules sometimes. I look at the list of things to do of laws and I feel like I want to protest almost all of them, specifically gay rights because it’s not even anybody’s business if you are gay or straight or other, it is just important that you value them as individuals. I also want abortion to be prochoice, because it is another thing that shouldn’t be up to the government, I personally don’t know anybody affected by this law/not law but I would still defend it. Something I wouldn’t protest is the whole jobs thing, if you really want a job, taco bell is hiring. I agree with MLKJ’s words about unjust laws, I think that because some laws violate what others think is standard human responsibility just to satisfy a god who wrote a book, is absolutely astonishing, I think the bible belt is just raising generations and generations of people who can’t form their own opinions genuinely and sending them out to spread their seed, it’s just dumb how people can read a book and be like “Wow, this makes sense” and then look a gay person in the eye and say “You deserve to burn in hell for being inhuman.” Anyway, I think I would protest many things and go to jail for many things as well, as long as change will come of it.
I would be willing to go to jail if there was something that I strongly believed in. That being said, it would have to be a cause for which others might benefit by my actions, not a singular issue whose only impact would be upon my beliefs and lifestyle. Something of substance with standards such as voting rights for everyone without regard to race or creed.
I really don’t have a strong opinion as to the list presented. Yes, I would fight for jobs for all but I think more important to that fight would be to raise the minimum wage. I think right now the wage is around $7.00 an hour. Most people cannot live on $7.00 an hour especially if they have children to raise. Most people would like to see the minimum wage raised to $10 an hour. As a young person just starting out in my “employment” career, I would definitely think that a higher rate would obviously benefit myself but would also benefit those persons who work in places like McDonalds or Burger King and have to raise families and pay rent or mortgages.
I don’t agree with Dr. King’s blanket statement. It sounds like he is stating that it is “his way or the highway.” While I don’t condone racism or violations of civil rights, I don’t think that you can, without hesitation, state that if I am wrong then God must be wrong or Jesus must be wrong. Life is about compromise and I think that we were born with brains and analytical thinking to give us the abilities to look at both sides of a problem and see each other’s opinions on a particular issue. I think that if Dr. King had an opportunity to retrace his speech, he might take a bit more lenient approach to his stance while still making his point.
A. I think that before I read the part about it affecting the rest of my life and career, I would have said yes. I would go to jail for a cause I truly believed in. It sounds selfish, but to risk my own personal goals and ambitions for something greater, well, that’s too much. In truth, I couldn’t bring myself to do something if it was going to truly impact my life in a negative way. Obviously, as a white male who’s grown up in an affluent neighborhood, I don’t realize how other people have been mistreated, and I know that I would never throw away potential chances for advancement, even if that means not publicly demonstrating my beliefs.
B. I would fight against restriction for abortions. I believe that if a woman does not want her child, she should be able to get rid of it, but only during the 1st trimester, because after that, I think the child in your belly is a little more aware of what’s happening. Otherwise, I would totally support freedom concerning abortions. Also, I support gay rights. I honestly couldn’t care less who gets married, as long as they’re nice. I would fight against the lack of taxes for companies and corporations. Some of these corps. make billions of dollars in mere months. They need to give back. I would support laws that create jobs, because jobs are pivotal to our economy and the welfare of this country. I have mixed feelings about immigrations. I understand that immigrants do take our jobs, but the U.S. is all about freedom and the ideal that success comes to all that work hard.
C. I agree with Dr. King’s reasoning, since any law that degrades a human being isn’t a law to begin with. It’s an attack on the freedoms granted by the Constitution. Of course, what constitutes a law that degrades humanity can sometimes be fickle, and I’m sure some people would split hairs.
Yes, I would definitely be willing to go to jail to protest unjust laws like Civil Rights workers had done during the the 1950s and 60s even considering the ramifications of a felony or misdemeanor on my record. Even with consideration toward the impact of it on my career in the future. Social justice is important. If I’m denied for a job or any other position because I stood for what is right, then it’s not the right position for me. I’d be willing to go to jail over things such as the behavior and actions of American companies and discrimination laws and actions like the ones in Arizona. I completely agree with Dr. Martin Luther King when he states what he thinks makes a law just or unjust. I believe an unjust law is “out of harmony with moral law”. Too, I agree when he says we’re just as obligated to not cooperate with unjust evil just as we are to assist in moral obligations. To degrade people or do something that doesn’t “uplift human personality” is against what Americans supposedly stand for. I think Dr King has stated a great foundation of what makes a law just or unjust. There may be a few loopholes where this shouldn’t apply, but I generally agree with this. Even for criminals and other convicts, no one should be degraded. You could still get equally as great justice without degrading human moral and their personality. Laws we’ve foolishly allowed and created lately, like the ones in Arizona, are completely unfair no matter who is being targeted. It’s completely unfair to racially profile or stop someone because you THINK they’re doing something illegal or are here illegally. That completely goes against the constitution and everything Americans are supposed to stand for. So, therefore, I do agree with Dr King and his thoughts on what makes a law just or unjust.
With much consideration, I have come to the conclusion that if I really believed in a certain cause and was passionate about the outcome, I would fight really hard for that cause. I don’t see myself starting a huge movement and going to jail for it, but only because there is nothing that I am so totally against in the United States right now. I think that going to jail and having that on your record, especially in such a critical times as the 50s and 60s, could change someone’s whole life, and I don’t know if I would be willing to do that. On the list above, one law that I would be willing to fight for would be abortion. I think everyone has the right to do what they want with their bodies, and it is a woman’s right to not want to have a child if they don’t feel ready. I would also be willing to fight for gay rights as I believe that people are allowed to love and be with who ever they want, and government and Constitution shouldn’t be allowed to tell them otherwise. I would fight for environmental laws as I see that keeping the environment clean and safe if very critical to America and the future of America. I do agree with Dr. King’s views on what makes a law just or unjust. I agree that a just law positively affects the community, whereas an unjust law creates a lot of controversy and rioting. A perfect example of this is gay marriage. It is doesn’t harm anyone, yet it is banned in the majority of the states. This unjust law has created so much controversy in the United States and in the future, until the law is no more, I believe there will continue to be controversy over it. We live in a country that claims to be “the land of the free” yet so many laws restrict people from doing what they want to do. I think that it is great that people fight for what they believe in, and maybe some day, if I feel strong enough about a cause, I will protest and stand up for that cause.
Many Civil Rights rioters were thrown in jail for protesting. They were willing to go to JAIL for their passionate beliefs. I find that very impressive. From my point of view, it’d be a hard decision to make if I were in the same situation. I believe that if I was fighting for something I was really passionate about I would be on the picket lines. With that, I would probably run away once the arrests started. But, I’m not sure if that’s possible. With all the chaos around me hopefully I could escape. If I was put in jail, having a misdemeanor on your record is not a great thing when trying to apply for college and jobs. I also wouldn’t be comfortable with staying the night in jail. If I were put in the same situation I would fight injustice but would not resort to going to jail. Of today’s current topics I would be willing to fight against abortion and environmental damage. For abortion I would be more willing to fight. Due to that fact that at this current moment I believe abortion is a more pressing issue. Along with that statement, give it a few years (or for the price of gas to reach $4-5) and I will definitely fight for environmental sanctions. I agree with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s point on laws being just or unjust. The American system was created to get rid of laws the public found incorrect. With the veto system it takes a lot for a law to be passed in the first place. Laws are made to help people, not keep them for living normal lives. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. certainly had the right idea when making this statement and tirelessly fighting for his cause, the civil rights struggle.
Standing up for what you believe typically has its consequences and praises, but for me I’m not quite sure how far I would go to stand up for what I believe in. Thinking about my record and my future as a college student I don’t think I would have the guts to go out on a limb and stand up for something I believe in that could get me jailed. As much as I agree and admire the students who saw injustices and made a stand, I don’t think I would be able to put myself through that. I was raised in a house where the laws are followed and have never been questioned around me. I am also very conscious of my future and knowing that I would have a record on my record would give me anxiety and make me unsure of my future and what I can do. I do consider the fact that if I was older and had a steady income and had money to back me up incase I do get involved and get a record and go to jail. For me it is all about thinking about the future when getting myself involved in something as big as the Civil Rights movement. I am a supporter and I believe Civil rights was something worth fighting for, but for me it would have to depend on where I am in my life I am to see home much I get involved.
In the list giving above there are a couple topics I would be willing to fight for and those are abortion and gay rights. As a female, I believe that every woman has the right to do what she wants with something in her body. People have to understand that having a child changes your life, and we also have to remember mistakes happen. With Gay rights I strongly believe you love who you love and that’s the end of it. If no one is hurting someone else I don’t see a problem. People are nervous that if they let homosexuals be together then people won’t reproduce and the population will decrease but it’s not like the second a law saying homosexuality is allowed comes out, that every person on the street is going to turn around to be homosexual. I just don’t see that happening. If no one is bothering someone else I don’t see a problem. I am a strong believer in free choice when it comes to your future and your body and who you love.
I agree with Dr. Kings reasoning on what makes a law just and unjust. A just law is something reasonable like no speeding and goes with the law of god, for example from the ten commandments we learn stealing is unjust and there it is, a law of no stealing and jail time if caught. I believe a just law is something that the people can say is reasonable, because we live in a democracy and not in communism the government should have no right to decide what I do with my body and my heart. They are responsible for my safety and the safety of others around me.
I would not be willing to go to jail for a cause I strongly believed in. That wouldn’t lessen my support for it, I just think it would be highly ineffectual, especially in this day and age. In the times of the Civil Rights movement, the 50’s and 60’s, this was a sure way to get attention for a cause, but now we have so many different outlets to express our displeasure, the infringement on basic rights is not so blatantly disregarded. I wouldn’t be willing to jeopardize my future by being incarcerated, instead I would put myself into a position where I could fight for my cause without destroying my life. We have so many new outlets of communication at our disposal, that I almost find it lazy to just stay in jail. But that’s now, the situation during the Civil Rights movement did not make this opportunity possible for the protestors. They had to go through this awful experience so that we wouldn’t have to. So, I would use the resources I have and the brain that I have been gifted with, to more effectively show my support and take a stand for my cause.
Some laws that I would fight against would be abortion and behavior / actions of an American companies (sweatshops, illegally drilling, dumping, etc.). People like to associate many things and decisions with crazy religious people, but America was founded on religious freedom. We have the freedom to practice our religion and if it moves us to vote one way or another, we have the right to vote that way. But even if I wasn’t a Christian, I would still be against abortion. It is not just religion that moves me to this decision, it is basic moral decency. I see abortion as a form of murder and I am allowed to have that opinion and express that opinion, that is what the home of the free allows you to do. You don’t just follow the crowd, we have the freedom of our own mind. That’s not to say there aren’t extraordinary circumstances, like the product of non consensual sex, just as there are extraordinary measures for murder, like self-defense. You don’t have to keep the kid if you don’t want them, but you shouldn’t be allowed to just kill them either, they need people to speak for them because they don’t have a voice of their own. Also, I think that sweatshops and other such corporations are inhumane and should be stopped. It’s easy to just avert your attention from how work is being done if it is being done, regardless of the means.
I do agree with MLK’s quote. Unjust laws aren’t laws and they should be fought. Laws that aren’t morally right, or humanly decent, are unjust. He believes that first and foremost we are fighting for the people and I wholeheartedly agree with that.
Personally I think I would not be able to go to jail for a cause because going to prison is one of my biggest fears and thinking about the impact it would have on my future, I do not think I would do it. It would change the way people look at me if I am applying for a job and my career will be one of the most important things to me. But I do think that Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi going to jail was important for civil rights and getting the world to listen. But living in a world today where you can start a movement or getting people to listen to what you have to say, just by tweeting or facebook. I do not think it is worth it. The two laws that I think are unjust are restrictions on abortion and restrictions on gay rights. I believe that if a woman is pregnant and wants to remove the fetus she should be able to do so, it is her body so she can do what she wants with it. There may be a woman who was raped and in result of her attack she is pregnant. If that woman wants to get rid of the fetus because its too painful for her to have a child that reminds her of the worst time in her life, she should be able to do that. Woman may go through different things that caused them to get pregnant and they should be able to eliminate the fetus if they want. I think restrictions on gay marriage is the stupidest law ever. I believe that you should be able to marry whoever you want regardless of your gender. People should be able to marry whoever you love and for the government to tell gay couples that they cant be together because of their gender is ridiculous. Finally, I do agree with most of Dr.King’s reasoning. The way he says it though makes it seems like demands, like it has to go the way Dr.King wants it to or it isn’t going to happen. If there are laws that degrade a human being, it wasn’t a law when it was passed. It’s going against the freedoms that we are granted by the Constitution.
The jail conditions that people were brought up around in the 1950-60’s has inevitably changed and been taken as a more federal offence rather than sly public retaliation.Nevertheless, I believe that the retainment of some negligent people, get locked up for doing some of the most heinous things rather than supportive . I can’t think of a recent case where someone was thrown in jail for fighting (through protests) for a cause. most of the time they’re sentenced to confinement else where or their access to worldly possessions is limited.
To fight for an honourable cause in my mind would be worth going to jail over. Often times American’s look at jail as the place where everything goes wrong . Instead of looking at what actually happens in the institution , people only relate things to how society belittles these affiliations. They do this by bringing up the negatives such as “If you go to jail you will get raped”. Unfortunately in some cases this is true and something that poor victim will carry as a burden but what they won’t consider a burden is if their act(s) of courage help to make a difference for a larger group of people in society – who will continue to help them and support their cause once (if) they’re released.
With that said, I would fight for a cause that I’m passionate enough for such as Abortion. This cause is especially insensitive to women , and though sexual intention is a two way street you can not justify not allowing someone to abort a child in cases of rap + e (because they won’t let me say it) – right? This is my view at least. I wouldn’t hesitate to be a leader for this cause because I know that there would be a team of people behind me supporting me and that we would all face time for it together. I wouldn’t be singled out out of thousands of people.
I would be willing to go to jail for an unjust law because I believe in standing up for what you believe and speaking your voice, as long as it doesn’t hurt others or yourself. There is a freedom of speech, but insulting someone else is wrong. If you are voicing your opinion, I have no issue with it, as long as it doesn’t offend me or someone else. I know that a career and money is not the key to happiness and I don’t need it to be right. I will stand up for what I believe, even if it lands me in jail, because I know that if they government didn’t really care, they wouldn’t bother to put me in jail. I also know that I wouldn’t be shunned by many people, because they were also fighting for their rights. I would be okay with some people thinking I’m crazy, because I know that I stood up for what I believed in and I took action.
I’m a believer in equal rights and pro-choice, so I would fight for those. It is not a middle age man’s job to choose who gets to love who and who gets to do what with their body. It’s that person’s choice to make, not a religious nutjob (sorry if I offended anyone). I don’t think countries should get into other countries business, unless they ask for help, which we could gladly join and help, although I think there need to be some changes in the military. They need to be able to see their spouses and/or significant others more often, especially if they have children. Taxes need to be increased for those who have more money, and the country needs to preserve our trees and plants and animals, because they are dying out, which they wouldn’t be if we weren’t here. Who cares if you download a song that costs $1.29? Get over it, it’s a buck, you can at most buy a candy bar with it.
I don’t think politics should be based on religion, but what is good for the people. It shouldn’t be about what God said, or what his “followers” wrote down, but what is good for all people, or some people. Equal rights for all types of sexuality won’t hurt some Christian leader, and neither will abortion rights. It shouldn’t be about your morality, but the country’s.