We as a society have long been taught that the government is invaluable in creating and maintaining social order. However, this idea is idealistic and, in practice, unrealistic. The role of forcing social standards often falls to the public. This is apparent in many societies, as the public maintains social order through revolution and formation of new governments to prosperous times and even the destruction of nations. One of the moments in history that most exemplifies only citizens maintaining moral code and not laws themselves is the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. African American citizens had been victims of multiple bombings and crimes throughout these years, culminating in a peaceful revolution for freedom. One of its
…show more content…
King defends himself time and again throughout the essay with this view that laws can be just or unjust and says that “just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths” (10). Myths are created by mankind, and relating laws to myths and half-truths implies that the government is simply controlled by society, not just lawmakers. The relationship between society and lawmakers lives in “a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue” (11). This monologue between government and its citizens is one way, implying that the government has a very limited relationship with the government. King also feels that, more broadly, “justice held too long is justice denied” (13). The justice system is too slow and fragmented to be able to make the change that king desires. It supports corrupt laws because it has corrupt support from society, but that can change if society is able to change public …show more content…
King explicitly states the difference between moral laws and God-given laws. He thinks that “a just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God” (16). Because God made moral laws so long ago, the only seeming change in morals today is interpretations of these morals. King also feels that “An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law” (16). Comparing laws formed by governments to laws formed by society outside of the government implies that the laws outside of government serve as framework for the government to adapt to, in this case Christianity. Many religions are spoken about throughout this essay, namely Christianity. King looks back to extremism and disobedience, which had famously been “practice superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions” (21). King appeals to his religious audience by showing that a group of people has, in the past, suffered greatly but started a revolution that changed the entire world. Like the Christians, the African American people of the mid 1900s and the general public is able to take a stand and create change that will echo throughout the future of America and the world. *oh is that a concluding sentence I see?* King, throughout his Letter From a Birmingham Jail, frequently makes note that government as an entity fails to act proactively with regard to moral
King defends himself time and again throughout the essay with this view that laws can be just or unjust and says that “just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths” (10). Myths are created by mankind, and relating laws to myths and half-truths implies that the government is simply controlled by society, not just lawmakers. The relationship between society and lawmakers lives in “a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue” (11). This monologue between government and its citizens is one way, implying that the government has a very limited relationship with the government. King also feels that, more broadly, “justice held too long is justice denied” (13). The justice system is too slow and fragmented to be able to make the change that king desires. It supports corrupt laws because it has corrupt support from society, but that can change if society is able to change public …show more content…
King explicitly states the difference between moral laws and God-given laws. He thinks that “a just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God” (16). Because God made moral laws so long ago, the only seeming change in morals today is interpretations of these morals. King also feels that “An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law” (16). Comparing laws formed by governments to laws formed by society outside of the government implies that the laws outside of government serve as framework for the government to adapt to, in this case Christianity. Many religions are spoken about throughout this essay, namely Christianity. King looks back to extremism and disobedience, which had famously been “practice superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions” (21). King appeals to his religious audience by showing that a group of people has, in the past, suffered greatly but started a revolution that changed the entire world. Like the Christians, the African American people of the mid 1900s and the general public is able to take a stand and create change that will echo throughout the future of America and the world. *oh is that a concluding sentence I see?* King, throughout his Letter From a Birmingham Jail, frequently makes note that government as an entity fails to act proactively with regard to moral