Is it fair to treat black people any different from white people? No, it isn’t, but that’s what happened in the Tom Robinson case. Everyone in the jury was white, not a single African American man was on that jury, so they already had…
In a “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King, Jr. said “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” This means that if we let injustice happen, then this injustice will grow and start to affect good people. We cannot afford to ignore something bad happening in one place. If injustice occurs and no action is taken against this injustice, then people who hear about what happened might think this injustice is acceptable, and continue being unfair.…
Discuss the meaning of justice. Critically analyse the extent to which the law is successful in achieving justice, and discuss the difficulties which is faces in seeking to do so. (30 marks + 5 AO3)…
Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., in his “Letter to Birmingham Jail”, argues that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. King’s purpose is to explain how a just law should be followed, and how unjust laws, such as segregation, should not. He supports this claim by appealing to logos, ethos, and pathos.…
To start off, Dr. Martin Luther King’s view for an unjust law is “a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.” (King 4) He believes that any law that degrades human personality is an unjust law. An unjust law is basically a code that inflicts on minority that is not binding itself. A concrete example of an unjust law is basically difference made legal. Another explanation of an unjust law by Dr. King is “An unjust law is a code inflicted upon a minority which that minority had no part in enacting or creating because it did not have that unhampered right to vote” (King 4). In King’s letter, he describes how the segregation law in Alabama was not democratically elected. He does this by stating that throughout the state of Alabama there are many methods used to prevent Negroes from voting, or even becoming registered voters. He also explains how there are some states and countries without a single Negro registered to vote despite the fact that Negroes constitute a majority of the population in most states and countries. Dr. King stated in his letter that he was arrested for a charge of parading without a permit. This is an example of a law that is just on its face and unjust in its application. Of course, the law is the law and there is nothing worng with the ordinance on parading without a permit, but when the ordinance is used to prevent just,…
Objection of what is unjust has long been a part of human nature. Human beings have the tendency to oppose things that contradicts their morals or beliefs as it indirectly challenges who they are or what they stand for. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” written in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. responds to clergymen who criticized his actions and role in the battle against segregation. These actions that were carried out by King were done so because he believed it was his moral responsibility, he believed it was his obligation to fight for the rights of all people. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. argues how the demonstrations he took part of are in fact justifiable as African American individuals were being overwhelmingly maltreated and degraded as human beings.…
While the 1954 Supreme court decision outlining segregation in public schools improved because of the “Law’ and not because of “moral” acceptance. Dr. King is specific in describing two types of laws: the just laws, and unjust laws. Dr. King referred to St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all”. He connected just laws to moral law or the law of God. He described an unjust law as a man-made code that does not kinship or is out of harmony with the moral law rooted in eternal or natural law. King makes the difference clear by describing an unjust law as not binding on the majority of people or itself. The majority follows a just law and minority as well, equal and distributed…
Composers represent conflicting perspectives through their own unique experiences and values as their political and social contexts. Geoffrey Robertson's self styled memoir 'The Justice Game' written in the late 1900's heavily reflects these conflicting perspectives in the 'Trials of Oz' and 'The Romans in Britain' through the employment of emotive and persuasive language and ridicule in the form of satire to which convey Robertson's view through his eyes. Such conflicts also portrayed in Charles Waterstreet's article' It's a long fickle road to justice' which similar to Robertson's use of persuasive techniques utilizes satire to challenge and question the myopic procedures of the legal system.…
In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential and significant civil rights movement figure, delivered a strong message defending African American’s necessity of demanding civil rights and arguing reformation of unjust laws. Since the very beginning of slavery in U.S., African Americans have not been able to escape from practices of dehumanization. When hope had finally shone along with the abolishment of slavery, a shadow followed as this minority community was being labeled as “colored” and found themselves trapped into an era of segregation. The Jim Crow laws that enforced the ideology “separate but equal” in U.S. public facilities were so dominant that, even after it was abolished, a concept of…
The call for justice was unquenchable, the tensions in Birmingham starved people for justice and equality, the fight for change was inevitable. Martin had many acts of protest against segregation, after being sent to jail and belittled, he felt compelled to give his explanation and reasoning to the Clergymen that criticized his work. Although Martin’s philosophy was based on nonviolent protest, it was necessary to fight for moral injustice even if that meant breaking the law. In the case of Birmingham, it was vital for Martin to response to the out cries of the people due to the unconstitional behaviors that continued to take place there. Martin focus on 3 central themes; moral obligation over unjust laws, direct action and justification of…
Everyone should be treated equally because yes there are differences between animals and black people and white people, but at the end of the day none of them want to be treated in a harsh way. That is one thing everyone has in common. King establishes that it's wrong to reach a good outcome using bad ways when he writes, “I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends" (King 175). King emphasizes that blacks deserve the same rights as white people and there shouldn't be laws that go…
An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.” King Jr. indicated that unjust laws were not laws at all. African-Americans could not freely pursue joy and live life in a way that made the, happy, if they did not do anything illegal or violate the rights of others. Laws were put in place to ensure white Americans always had a better life than African-Americans. These laws were considered structurally unjust, immoral, and iniquitous to African-Americans. Peaceful resistance needed to occur. “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality.” Although it was hard for African-Americans to organize in the Southern United States, they were still able congregate to make great efforts to achieve their pursuit of…
It took years for rights to be expanded to others. One of the greatest examples of civil disobedience to allow for the expansion of civil rights is through Martin Luther King Jr.'s history of protesting segregation against black people. In my early education, I was aware of King's importance to civil rights but never understood what he had to go through in order to create a change. By being introduced to Letter from a Birmingham Jail in high school, I finally recognized that before he had a dream of equality King had to have the action of protest. Throughout his letter, he emphasizes the distinction between just and unjust laws. As King states, "An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law" (King, 1963). Americans must understand that civil disobedience should only be exemplified when there is a moral purpose behind the desire for…
Not only does ideas and beliefs create unfair living to some, racism has been exercised through political power (Omi). Statistics have shown that people of different ethnicities are less likely to receive substantial justice or fair sentencings when being trialed. Racial bias is currently reoccuring in our justice systems. Racial injustice can’t be achieved until we work together to prove the past isn’t the present, and we all have equal opportunities and accept all. “The laws we now see, are in need of a course correction” (King). The Declaration of Independence was a vision for America stating that the people would be free and equal, this being said America's government and justice system are meant to protect the US, and the citizens of the country. They should not have to question if their country is against them (Racial Justice). Jim crow laws were created for a reason, it is important to know your rights in order to fight against unfair treatment in society and the justice system if need…
Firstly, one must define what an unjust law is. According to Martin Luther King, an unjust law is “any law that degrades human personality” (King 179). In other words, it is a law that is directed against a certain group of people or is inflicted on a minority. He continues on by stating that “an unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself” (King 179), meaning that any law that causes a person to suffer simply because they do not agree with this majority is an incorrect and unjust law.…