Martin Luther King Junior’s Letter from Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr. emphasizes the importance of equality and justice in his letter to the people of Birmingham, Alabama. King writes, from his jail cell, about the injustice he has seen and he offers ways of fixing it. His plans starts with acquiring an understanding of the difference between a just and unjust law and how to react to them. Then his plan requires taking action to abide by and fight for these just laws. The final stages of the plan consist of eliminating laxity and following the lead of those working toward integration.
In his letter, King gives his definition of a just and an unjust law. “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An …show more content…
If the government were to enforce integration laws, would the people abide by them? Through King’s experience, it is evident the people listened to what they wanted to hear and chose to disobey the government when segregation was addressed. King gives an example of this disobedience with the reactions to the “Supreme Court’s decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools” (810). Therefore, it is necessary for the people to reflect on what is righteous and obey the just laws. It is the responsibility of the citizens to inform the government what laws they believe are just and unjust. Protesting, rebelling, and holding boycotts are methods to inform the government of the people’s opinions of a law. These methods will most likely bring about consequences, however, King states that the consequences are not in vain if the protester is passionate about the cause he or she is fighting for. The fact that King writes this letter from a jail cell shows how strongly he believes in fighting for the cause, without letting the fear of punishments stop him. He encourages the people to start acting on their
In his letter, King gives his definition of a just and an unjust law. “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An …show more content…
If the government were to enforce integration laws, would the people abide by them? Through King’s experience, it is evident the people listened to what they wanted to hear and chose to disobey the government when segregation was addressed. King gives an example of this disobedience with the reactions to the “Supreme Court’s decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools” (810). Therefore, it is necessary for the people to reflect on what is righteous and obey the just laws. It is the responsibility of the citizens to inform the government what laws they believe are just and unjust. Protesting, rebelling, and holding boycotts are methods to inform the government of the people’s opinions of a law. These methods will most likely bring about consequences, however, King states that the consequences are not in vain if the protester is passionate about the cause he or she is fighting for. The fact that King writes this letter from a jail cell shows how strongly he believes in fighting for the cause, without letting the fear of punishments stop him. He encourages the people to start acting on their