Analysis of the Letter from Birmingham

According to Dr. Martin Luther King, there is a very thin line between just and unjust laws. Dr. King feels that, a law that can be considered as just is one that carries with it moral values. This according to him is a law that correlates with that made by God Himself. On the other hand, Dr. King describes an unjust law as one which does not concur with the moral law and does not correlate with that of God. In addition to this, the King believes that if a law is not just, it should not be obeyed. It should be defied.

Dr. King believes that one has got a legal obligation to abide by laws that are just (King & The Global Freedom Struggle). However, he feels that it is okay to break laws which are unjust. He argues that any law that does not degrade the personality of a human being is a just one and should be obeyed; that which does on the other hand shouldn't be obeyed. The king argues that, the constitution describes all citizens as equal. Therefore, if the laws laid down do not apply to each individual equally, they are it just and are wrong.  Dr. King says that one should fight against unjust laws even if it means breaking them in order to protect their freedom (King). He however clearly stated that, if a person went against the law in order to defend his rights or to seek justice, that person must be ready to face the consequences that come with his actions.

I agree with the idea that unjust laws should not be followed or obeyed. They need to be fought against. I believe that the king was right in stating that one should not obey unjust laws. If a law is made by another human being and in a way it oppresses others discriminatively, it does not morally relate on God's law. God is a higher authority than man and any law that clashes with His should be ignored (King). If laws are made to apply to the society, it should then also follow that the same laws should not be discriminative.