Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the prominent activists struggling for human rights and liberties. His speeches are a perfect example of how words and powerful arguments can be used to protect a particular idea or attract attention to cases of injustice or unfair attitudes. Thus, his Letter from Birmingham Jail is another example of how he cogitated about law and civil disobedience. The central idea introduced by the speaker is that all people have a moral responsibility to disobey and break unjust laws (King Jr, 1963). Individuals should act instead of waiting and project justice and avoid new offences.
Martin Luther King Jr. argues that discriminative patterns are dangerous for the whole society as they will lead to the spread of violence and unfair decisions. He says, “One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” (King Jr, 1963, p. 3). The given lines can be viewed as the summary of the arguments presented by Martin Luther King Jr. It means that the major condition for civil disobedience is the existence of discriminative attitudes or approaches that infringe on the rights of various groups or individuals. If a person notices the cases of injustice and prejudice, it is his/her moral right to start acting to avoid the further deterioration of the situation and its becoming more complex. In such a way, the famous open speed by Martin Luther King Jr. shows that every individual has a responsibility to struggle against discrimination and laws that cause harm to people because of their race, culture, or gender. Only a collaborative effort of all community members can help to create a fair and just system protecting others.
Reference
King Jr, ML. (1963). Letter from Birmingham jail. TexasLiberalArts. Web.