Who said we had the obligation or right to break laws that are unjust?
Martin Luther King Jr.
Is civil disobedience against the law?
Essentially, civil disobedience is illegal non-violent political action, done for moral reasons (this distinguishes it from crime).
What does Martin Luther King say about unjust laws?
“One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”
How is King viewed by fellow clergymen?
King said he is more disappointed with the white moderates than with the KKK. How is King viewed by fellow clergymen and why is King disappointed with the church leaders upon his arrival to Birmingham? Definition. They comfort to the status quo, refuse to change it and speak out against injustice.
Why is King in jail?
In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and sent to jail because he and others were protesting the treatment of blacks in Birmingham, Alabama. A court had ordered that King could not hold protests in Birmingham. Birmingham in 1963 was a hard place for blacks to live in.
How does Dr King define unjust?
Martin Luther King jr. In his words: “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.
Why does King express disappointment with white church leaders?
Overall, he argues that there are “creative extremists,” those who wish to create and improve rather than destroy (180). Dr. King confesses his disappointment that white moderates have not made this distinction, but considers that whites cannot truly understand “the deep groans and passionate yearnings” of blacks.
What are the four basic steps of nonviolent direct action that King discusses?
Dr. King’s four steps to a nonviolent campaign include identifying and proving the existence of injustices, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action. In order to identify the injustices taking place, one must be able to define an injustice.
What is King’s argument in Letter from Birmingham Jail?
King disagreed and penned his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” arguing that black Americans had waited long enough for equal rights, and that unjust laws were invalid laws.
Did Martin Luther King advised his followers to disobey unjust laws?
Though he believed in nonviolent resistance, Marin Luther King did advise his followers to disobey unjust laws.
Did Thomas Jefferson say if a law is unjust?
“If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so.”
What is the difference between a just and unjust law according to Dr King?
How, according to King, does one distinguish between a just law and an unjust law? “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.
Is it right to break an unjust law?
Quotation: “If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so.”
Is organized religion too inextricably bound?
A Baptist pastor who was a fourth-generation preacher King still found himself wondering, “Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world?” He’d look at white churchgoing folk in the South and ask himself, “Who is their God?”
What two reasons does Dr King give for being in Birmingham with the SCLC?
What are reasons do King state for being in Birmingham? King states that he is in Birmingham because he was invited there, he had organizational ties there, and because injustice was there.
What are some examples of nonviolent protests?
Here are five protests that took a peaceful approach to political activism:
- Women’s Suffrage Parade of 1913. Image via Pinterest.
- The Medals Heard Around the World. Image via tahoequarterly.com.
- The Singing Revolution (1986-1991) Image via altfg.com.
- Conflict of Orders.
- Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington.
What was King’s reaction to the advice wait and give us time to act?
Explain, in detail, King’s reaction to the advice “wait” and “give us time to act”. His reaction is that you ignore those words and keep on prodding the new administration as much as you did the old one because if you don’t, they will keep delaying it.
Why disobedience is bad?
Violent acts of civil disobedience can physically harm others. Destructive elements within these actions may damage property, reduce the reputation of a business, or restrict access for consumers to conduct business. Each May Day in Seattle (since 2012) brings about the threat of destruction and disruption to the city.
What are the two types of laws according to Dr King?
“There are two types of laws, those that are just and those that are unjust. A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law… Any law that uplifts the human personality is just.
What are two direct action examples?
Nonviolent direct action may include sit-ins, strikes, street blockades, sabotage, and counter-economics. Violent direct action may include political violence, assault, arson and property destruction.
Why was Martin Luther King important to the civil rights movement?
was a social activist and Baptist minister who played a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. King sought equality and human rights for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest.
What would it take for someone to break an unjust law?
POST: Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” defends an odd position: You may morally break an unjust law IF you make no effort to evade the legal punishment for the unjust law you break. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.