Essay Example on Just and Unjust Laws by Martin Luther King

The main focus of this paper is the How Martin Luther Kings ideas of just and unjust laws apply to specific current law(s). In history, there have been several unjust and just laws. Numerous individuals follow laws merely because they are rules. Occasionally people do not even reach a decision with a law, though they go along since it is societally tolerable or because it is just the law. I feel that by drafting the letter, and brought forward the meaning, Martin Luther King is puzzling his readers to ponder whether a law is just or unjust. When a law is unjust, it is the role of the society to get it upended. The social order ought not to stay with an unjust law. King was born in Atlanta Georgia in 1922 and later in 1953 got married to Scot Coretta of Marion Alabama, who they had four children together. King graduated with BA in Sociology from Morehouse College and then completed his theology Ph.D. in 1955 at Boston University. After finishing his doctorate, King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Church in Montgomery Alabama. He later resigned in 1959 to take up the leadership role in Atlanta Georgia. King was a principal person in the civil rights groups and always became arrested and during such periods in April 1963 when he composed the well-known "Letter from Birmingham City Jail."

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King in his, "letter from Birmingham jail" talks about some things he refers to as unjust' and just' laws. He creates a vivid clarification between the two words. Well, in his words king regarded a just law as a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God" (Jessica 42). King goes ahead to clarify the dissimilarity between an unjust and a just law: "Any law that elevates human character is just. Any law that vitiates human character is unjust." King reacted with his present famous, Letter from Birmingham Jail. Can wonder how one can well ask to advocate breaking certain laws and conform to other requirements. Since there are only two types of laws according to him, that is the just and unjust laws people have few options to do. One has not only a legal but also a moral role to respect the just rules. On the other hand, one has a moral character to respect the unjust laws.

According to King, An unjust law is a code that is out of agreement with the moral law (Jessica 41). He is very precise in this allusion. He does not simply say his cause is just due to the inherent morality; he elucidates the dissimilarity between unjust and just. He supports with history and philosophy. He informs us why all discrimination laws are unjust and even goes ahead to explicate how certain laws are regarded just on the shallow (such as needing an authority to march in line). They are unjust in their use, for instance, the repudiation of his free speech privileges. King was an enlightened man, an educated man, and a religious man and his letter from Birmingham shows these markings clearly, credibly and well. He even went ahead to use relevant examples to explain how unjust law occur where he uses some Nazi laws. They enforced and made terrible laws. For example, it was unlawful to hide Jews in someone's house from the Nazis. Nevertheless, when one hid a Jew although it is being prohibited, then one saved a life. Any Jews that would be caught sent to and frequently confined in death camps. It reduces an individual personality; it makes a difference between diverse groups' of persons. Therefore, he regarded it to be the moral role of persons living in Nazi engaged countries during the World War II to disregard every law like it. King also backed the just laws by start that they are grounded on natural law. The natural law theory starts with the notion that nearly everything has a reason. We can distinguish the purpose of something by simply looking by how it's formed. For instance, King went ahead to explain this fact by using a given example. The purpose a car engine is to give the car motion. All detail concerning the engine is planned for that every purpose. As one study the interior combustion engine, you understand that it takes petrol, among many other things, to accomplish its purpose. The natural law assumes this notion of purpose and relates it to human beings. The conjecture is that individuals are made for a particular purpose. Would like to know what our humanity purpose is? One simple method to identify is to cogitate how we are formed. For instance, in the field of our sexuality, it is clear that females and males are made contrarily and the variance is for the purpose of ongoing the species. All culture across history has recognized this dissimilarity by putting moral borders around marriage. This is to reserve the natural way of creating and nurturing children.

The current United States laws are organized is such a way that they promote the wellbeing of individuals. They highly emphasize on the promotion of human right and each and every individual has the freedom of speech, movement, right to peacefully assemble, freedom of association, freedom of religion, and many other laws that govern human rights. Current U.S laws are also among the best in the world since and highly values rights and freedoms of people. Respect for the law should be expected among the citizens of U.S. the laws that govern the legal system are very transparent, and the judicial system has a reputation to discharge what is expected from them. The right to fair trial has been emphasized in the current American current laws. The right to a just trial is among the most litigated human privileges, and extensive case law has been brought up on the construal of this human right. The objective of the right is to ensure the suitable running of justice.

The current U.S are just in my point of view if I can make reference to what King said regarding the just and unjust laws. If I can again quote the actual words of the King about just laws, he said that, "A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God" generally the King is expressing his desire that state laws should square with the moral laws. The laws that uplift human personality is just the same way current U.S laws are upholding the respect for human right.

The current U.S laws could have been unjust when they totally do not recognize the human right in one way or the other since America is a constitutional democratic country. I trust that in any democratic nation, judges should resolve whether a law is unjust or just. America constitutional democracies have rights or human rights that protect citizens. The U.S Constitutions are fully achieving to codify natural, the moral or Godly law in my view. To say this, in other words, if a law is unjust, judicial structures should pronounce it so. The explicit present laws of U.S emphasize the justification of unjust and just laws of the Kings law. This has changed the old regime that never supported or tolerated the civil rights movements. King did not live to accomplish his dream, since he was gunned down in1968. Though recall his guidance in putting that dream become reality for the future generation which of course is our generation

In conclusion, King was such an instrumental person in shaping the laws regarding human rights and championed so much to for the stopping racial segregation that was widely present in America. King meant that laws are just when they encourage people's privileges and permit people to live happier and fuller lives. Unjust laws such as those of segregation do not defend these fundamental, God-given rights. The case King creates differentiating unjust and just laws is not only deeply supported but also practically universally agreed. Most individuals and countries agree that absolute demands of spiritual and moral law surpass human vision of codes. I fully agree with the King's say regarding the two kinds of laws he said in the letter.

Works Cited

Jessica, McElrath. The Everything Martin Luther King, Jr. Book: The Struggle, The Tragedy, The Dream. New York: Everything Books, 2007.