Civil Disobedience

Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for civil disobedience during the 60s. The 60s was the time of racial segregation in which blacks and whites were separated, yet equal. King is the leader of the Civil Rights Movement, a movement aimed towards ending racism in the United States. Unlike Malcolm X's ideals, King's ideals revolved around a non-violent peaceful protest. While his stay at the Birmingham City Jail, King wrote a letter regarding the movement and its motives. It expresses his philosophical views on the non-violent resistance that King has conjured up. He reasons that non-violent protests and Civil Disobedience is required for the message to go through Congress's ears. Unjust Laws, as King describes them, are laws that do not serve a justified purpose;laws that do not see eye-to-eye with the moral code of humanity. These laws, according to King, are unreasonable and undoubtedly useless that they should not be enforced or supported at all. King also discusses the unjust laws and their characteristics of being particularly aimed towards African Americans. These laws were passed by Congress to ensure that African Americans do not receive the privileges that White people receive. Instead, as mentioned above, they are "separated, yet equal." Equal means that whatever one gets, the other must receive exactly as well. However, Congress seems to have a different definition for the word "Equal". They twist the term "Equality" and mend it to a definition which seems, to their eyes, suitable to African Americans. King argues that Congress needs to redefine the term "Equality" so that it will meet the needs that African Americans are deprived of. King also argues that he has been arrested for the reason "parading without a permit." While that may be so, he reasons with the priorities that Congress has made and how out-of-place these priorities are listed. People should come to realize that we as humans should not define one another as a certain race or a certain being but as a human being. The idea of race and stereotyping races will stay strong and alive until we humans as a whole decide to put that matter out of our lives and be with one another. Martin Luther King Jr. quoted , "True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring." This quote can be related to the way Congress and the laws made during the 60s treat African Americans. Congress made laws so that African Americans and Whites are "equal". However, there was a saying where African Americans were "separated but equal." African Americans had the privileges that White people had, yet in a way that wasn't entirely equal. For example, there were public restrooms for African Americans separately from Whites. Restaurants would have a specific section for African Americans. These minor tweaks seem like a step toward change, but Congress's actions deny absolute freedom for every African American in the United States. Congress knows this as well, that what they have done is not a blessing in reality. King Tries to bring this so called equality to reality.

Martin Luther King Jr. lead a non-violent resistance of African Americans that were so called "free". Although it is a non-violent resistance, the resistance is constantly seen breaking laws. King and the resistance know acknowledge the fact that laws are being broken. Martin Luther King Jr. does this because there are some people who will not listen or understand a message given unless actions are made. The action however, needs to be such an impact that the opposing people will take immediate action. For society, and for the authority of the US, breaking the law is one of the most common ways to grab their attention. King and the resistance sum up to more than a hundred people which, if they all broke laws, would definitely get the authorities' attention. In the letter that King wrote during his stay at the Birmingham City Jail, King states that there are two types of laws: Just and Unjust laws. Martin Luther King Jr. agrees with St. Augustine's view that Unjust laws are not laws at all. Laws, according to King, are "man-made codes that square with the moral law or the law of God." Unjust laws are, according to King's definition of Just laws, laws that do not cope with the morals of God. These laws should not be part of a country where it was built on the ideas of freedom and free speech. In efforts to bring order to the laws of the land, King and his band of resistance do not abide by some of the laws in hopes that Congress will come to a conclusion to change their thoughts on Unjust laws and reevaluate them.

King's letter during his stay at the Birmingham City Jail emphasizes the unjust racial inequalities practiced by the United States. He states "There are some countries without a single Negro registered to vote despite the fact that the Negro constitutes a majority of the population." The Negroes who are a part of the country should have a voice in the voting system. A color in skin should not be the defining factor as to whether one can vote or not. African Americans are human beings, just like white people, they live amongst us. Their votes are good as any other person's vote. Their existence in the country is proof that they have experienced life in the country and therefore can give us their ideals and opinions. One's color should not determine their vote's authenticity at all. People tend to act a certain way or say something in particular depending on who they are next to. If they are strangers, they will act according to the rumors and stereotypes that they have heard about the stranger's ethnicity/race. These small factors have such a huge impact history was changed because of it. Our stereotypical thoughts and ideas have led us to where we are today. It is mostly a negative thing and something that shouldn't be a factor when meeting that person. The Congress's actions towards African Americans seem like they view them as non-humans or just plain evil. Police have been brutal to them statistically more of then than not, as depressing as it may seem. Our skin color definitely plays a key factor when meeting someone.

Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for "parading without a permit." That, in King's opinion, is reasonable to charge him for. King's argument, however, is more reason not to arrest him. King, along with many other African Americans, are being denied the First Amendment of the US constitution. The First Amendment of the US constitution states that the making of any law that impends the free exercise of religion, abridges the freedom of speech, denies the freedom of press, or interferes the rights of peaceful assemble is strictly prohibited. Martin Luther King Jr. is one such man that tries to undo the moral wrongs of racial discrimination by gathering people who suffer the same fate as him. The authorities try to take a powerful and influential model like King down which can be signs that the authorities do not want equal rights. However, their actions are going against their own made rules, rules created by the founding fathers of this land. The authorities are supporting racial discrimination and Unjust laws by trying to stop King. They try to deny primarily Negroes the First Amendment.

Martin Luther King Jr. is a powerful figure that fought for equal rights against Congress. He brought upon a challenge to Congress that seemed too hard for them to see through. King wanted to bring to the United States the rights that it deserves. African Americans were brought upon to the United States as slaves for sale, looked down as objects and not human life. The life that they possess had no meaning to the White people that continued to harass these African Americans. Slavery is what brought the African Americans to the States. However, slavery has been abolished in the US and the African American population was growing. Congress, instead of giving them rights just like any other US citizen, stripped African Americans of their rights and entitled them to a separate group of rights that do not cope or abide with the US Bill of Rights. Even today, racial discrimination is still around and people have been acting in ways according to their prior knowledge of a certain race. Racial discrimination is one of the key factors hate crime and police brutality still exist today. While African Americans now have equal rights, some people, or groups of people, do not believe so. The Ku Klux Klan is one such group that despises the African American community. The Ku Klux Klan was created with the sole purpose of scaring the African American population. They hung them, attacked them, and constantly harassed them every chance they had. People should stop racial discrimination altogether.