Why Is Segregation Still Relevant Today

It’s better late than never, is a saying people usually say when people take too long in doing something for them. They say it’s better for things to be done one day, than for things never to be done at all; but what if civilians are seeking justice and equality from the government. If civilians are being treated inhumanly and what they are asking for, justice, is put to the side as if they did not exist. Justice cannot wait for later because it will only spark up the fire to treat civilians unfairly and hurt the civilians who are pleading for justice. Segregation is one of the issues that were put aside, and justice seemed to be refused to the people that wanted it gone. In a “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, by Martin Luther King Jr., expresses
himself about what he feels about segregation and how civilians have asked for something to be done, by congress, for a long time, but no help has come their way. King uses a quote, “justice too long delayed is justice denied”, meaning if the extinction of segregation or equality for the civilians is put aside then nothing will ever be done to fix these issues (926). Imagine for a second what it will be like if every right people had at this instant was taken away from them; having to live the life civilians were living during the segregation; witnessing things that hurt them and their families.
Having to live in a world that does not give them what they deserve. For instance the children having to be told that they cannot do things that white kids did like go to the carnival because they can get hurt and no justice will be done or the adults getting whipped because they were in a place just for whites (927). That their call to justice is put on a long hold and never getting picked up to solve the problem; that people will keep witnessing their people getting hurt by the government who should be treating them equally and punishing the people who are doing harm to innocent people who do not deserve it. Justice being put on hold is like when you call to the doctor because you are in pain and the only thing they tell you is that you have to wait because they doctor is not there to help you; like the government is not there to help the civilians out. King mentions in his letter that other countries are getting what they want and helping their people in a “jetlike speed” and that for African Americans the justice to sit and drink coffee at a restaurant is moving in a “horse-and-buggy” pace (926). Showing how with no justice people cannot enjoy the simplest things in life without
fear. The more time passes means the less chance you will get something done for you. As time passes the government tends to forget about things that are important and that should be taken care of immediately. They tend to forget what their people need and they put aside the constitution which says to treat everyone equally. When they put justice to the side one time, they will keep doing it again. As justice keeps being put to the side it will never be given to the civilians that need it. King says that “[the people] have waited for more than 340 years for [their] constitutional and God-given rights,” and that the justice they have been asking for have not been given to them (926). That the justice of being treated equal is something that seems they will never get their hands on. If the government is being unjust to people they are only showing future generations to do the wrong things. Like not treating everyone with respect and giving them the justice they need. Dealing with the fact that justice is so close yet not given to the people that need it can be very frustrating because they are being denied the opportunity to live a life without any of the hardships they were experiencing during segregation.
In conclusion the more justice is delayed the more people think that it is being denied to them. Denying justice to the civilians of the country not only hurts them but also sets a bad example to future generations that will take over the government. Making the future generations say the same thing to people who are asking for justice and putting it out for later and later. King wants people to understand the African Americans point of view and to try to be in their shoes. So that people can see that “justice too long delayed is justice denied”, because it never comes to those who need it the most. The longer people wait the more they come in to terms that justice will never come.