1. According to MLK, how can we tell the difference between just and unjust laws?  

MLK defined the difference in why what he has done is justified “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”. If the laws in place are not morally and ethically right, or good then there is no means of following them. 

2. In your view, is this an important distinction (between just and unjust laws), do you think it makes a difference in the way someone (as an individual, or our society as a whole) lives their lives? Can it affect our politics?

It is a very important distinction and it is the most important statement he has made. Though it brings attention to the recall of laws put in place during that time its an evermore grandiose statement of how people should always question their government and the laws in place. Those at power are not always looking to protect us but themselves. It must certainly affect our politics because life is ours to live and not be dictated.

3. Based on our discussion of Question 1, give an example each, of an unjust and just law, in the US today. Explain what makes it unjust or just (using MLK’s definition of those two types of laws).

Unjust Law- Making it unconstitutional to have abortions. Overturning Roe vs Wade is a direct violation of attempting to control women’s bodies, women’s lives, and an invasion of privacy. What makes this recent overturning so interesting is that I recall being in high school and learning about the importance of roe v wade and why it was determined constitutional to have the right to an abortion. Lucky I am to live in a state where it is not banned, but as MLK said “injustice somewhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.

Just Law- The Civil Rights Act : A civil rights and labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. This grants people of different race, color, religion, sex and national origin the right to be heard, respected, and seen.

1. According to MLK, how can we tell the difference between just and unjust laws? Understanding this questions is the most important part of this module, and I will ask it again during our second exam.

According to MLK, the way we can tell the difference between just and unjust laws is based on the law. He explains in his letter if the law uplifts human personality and basically make you feel good about yourself. With unjust laws is degrades you and causes a person to feel either superior or inferior

1. In your view, is this an important distinction (between just and unjust laws), do you think it makes a difference in the way someone (as an individual, or our society as a whole) lives their lives? Can it affect our politics?

I do believe this is a good way to distinguish just and unjust laws. When it comes to the term just it means to me something fair and when you are treated fairly it builds you up and make you feel good about yourself. Something unjust I see it as unfair which means someone is treating you or being treated better than you which degrades you. i do believe it would make a difference in the way a person lives their life because as a society we would want to create laws that uplifts people and create fairness. However, it can affect our politics. When it comes to politics we have to understand politics are usually based around ideologies, in which everyone does not hold the same ideas. So how can we create just laws for everyone? Something i might consider to be just the next person might consider it to be unjust.

1. Based on our discussion of Question 1, give an example each, of an unjust and just law, in the US today. Explain what makes it unjust or just (using MLK’s definition of those two types of laws).

Freedom of religion is a just law. Everyone should be able to practice whatever religion makes them feel happy to practice. Not everyone believes in the same things. One law i believe is unjust is abolishment of abortions. I feel that no one should be able to dictate what a person does with their body. A women might have tons of reasons why she would like to terminate a pregnancy.

1. According to MLK, how can we tell the difference between just and unjust laws? Understanding this questions is the most important part of this module, and I will ask it again during our second exam.

We can recognize the difference between just and unjust laws, according to MLK, because just laws are man-made laws that are fair to everyone and encourage harmony, peace, and the proper activities. Unjust laws are human laws that violate God’s rule, degrade mankind, and remove human moral responsibility. According to MLK, we can distinguish between fair and unjust laws because just laws elevate human personality, whereas unjust laws are human laws that are not established in eternal or natural law.

2. In your view, is this an important distinction (between just and unjust laws), do you think it makes a difference in the way someone (as an individual, or our society as a whole) lives their lives? Can it affect our politics?

This is an essential distinction in my opinion because individuals are usually affected by what the majority supports, which means giving significance to. It has an impact on how people conduct their lives as a result of their surroundings. For example, because New York City is controlled by liberals, many decisions will be based on liberal acts and views.

3. Based on our discussion of Question 1, give an example each, of an unjust and just law, in the US today. Explain what makes it unjust or just (using MLK’s definition of those two types of laws).

Jim Crow laws were an example of an unjust law. It encouraged segregation and was therefore not good to humanity, but rather negative because it created a lot of enmity. Jim Crow laws were a set of state and local rules that made racial segregation legal. The laws were intended to marginalize African Americans by denying them the opportunity to vote, hold jobs, acquire an education, or other possibilities for roughly 100 years, from the post-Civil War era until 1968. Those who attempted to disobey Jim Crow laws were frequently arrested, fined, imprisoned, beaten, and killed. Jim Crow laws were an example of an unjust law. It encouraged segregation and was therefore not good to humanity, but rather negative because it created a lot of enmity.

1. MLK believed that just laws were ones that fell in line with God’s law, or the moral law. Of course, this reflects a Christian worldview that not everyone shares, but what he meant was laws that “uplift human personality.” Laws that do not negatively affect any innocent person or group, or favor one over another, and that protect society. He believed that an unjust law is one that “degrades human personality.” It does the opposite of a just law, negatively affecting or harming innocents, and favoring one group or person over the other.

2. I believe that this distinction is important. It gives citizens rubric to use when reflecting on their countries laws, and whether or not they believe the government is just in its decisions. It keeps an important fact, that government officials are imperfect and fallible, in mind. It can effect how someone votes, but can also effect which laws they choose to follow, and how they use that to express their discontent with those laws to the government. Mass disobedience towards unjust laws can, in my opinion, affect change in policy, as it can cause politicians to reconsider.

3. A example of just laws would be those preventing and outlawing assault. Keeping citizens safe is the duty of the government and “uplifts human personality.” It helps innocent people and only negatively affects perpetrators. The fact that certain assault crimes are more punishable, such as child assault and sexual assault, is also just.

An example of an unjust laws are those that jail citizens for not being able to pay debts. In theory, those who cannot pay debts are supposed to be charge with some other way of paying off, such as community service. Jailing unjustly punishes them simply for not being financially stable enough to pay their debt. It “degrades human personality,” treating people cruelly and unfairly.

1. According to MLK we can tell the difference between just and unjust laws because just laws uplift human personality and unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.
2. I do not think this is a valid or important distinction between just and unjust laws. I say that because sometimes how humans behave naturally is not the best for society. So laws are needed to correct these natural laws humans would live by for the better good of everybody. I do think it makes a difference in the way someone or our society lives. It affects them because most people do not want to stand out so they will follow laws whether they are just or unjust. It differently can affect our politics because politicians can manipulate the citizens of the society to learn towards certain ideologies which in return help shape how certain laws are viewed.
3. An unjust law using MLK’s definition would be the ability to by and or produce military grade firearms. It is clear that most Americans are against it and it causes great harm to our society. A just law would be the acceptance of gay marriage in America. This is just because it uplifts the people who it directly affects but also uplifts the people around those individuals. It has a trickle affect that makes everyone’s life easier and uplifting.

1. According to MLK, how can we tell the difference between just and unjust laws? 

Martin L King gives us his meaning and examples between just and unjust laws. He says that “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. His two definitions are “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.”

2. In your view, is this an important distinction (between just and unjust laws), do you think it makes a difference in the way someone (as an individual, or our society as a whole) lives their lives? Can it affect our politics? In my view, I do believe that there is an important distinction between both laws and that it does make a difference in the way someone lives their lives. The letter mentions how Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. The example the letter gives is that All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority.

3. Based on our discussion of Question 1, give an example each, of an unjust and just law, in the US today. Explain what makes it unjust or just (using MLK’s definition of those two types of laws). 

An example of unjust would be if someone gets treated better than the other due to there gender or race which continues to happen in the US today. Since it is degrading to other humans and unfair towards them. An example for just would be if everyone was treated the same no matter the gender or race for example salary everyone gets paid the same and its not men being paid more.

1. A man-made rule that complies with the moral law or the law of God is called a just law. Legislation that conflicts with morality is said to be unfair. St. Thomas Aquinas defined an unjust law as a human law that is not based on natural law or eternal law. A fair law is one that enhances human personality. It is unfair for a law to diminish human personality. Because segregation harms the soul and the personality, all segregation laws are unfair.
2. I do think it makes a difference in how someone lives their life because everyone is always being looked at whether we like it or not and if you were to conduct yourself in a manner that is unpleasant and a person with an important platform finds out everyone can see it. This can affect politics because we see all the time “black on black” crimes and they are out here killing each other but saying black lives matter and there should be a change. How can politicians and other people listen to our concerns when we don’t even follow the things we say? 
3. One example of a just law is Thou shalt not kill. Another example of an unjust law is money bail releasing fugitives before a hearing. The unjust law is unfair and the just law is moral. They are complying to the law.

1. According to MLK, we can tell the difference between just and unjust laws by understanding that a proper law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. However, an unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. : An unjust law is a human law that is not implanted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that inspires human personality is just. Any law that devalues human personality is unjust. 
2. In my view, I believe that just and unjust do make a difference in the way someone, an individual, or our society a whole life their lives because of the fact that unjust is unfair. For example, if the manager is following an unjust law, this means that they are going to be unfair. So, let’s say, one day an employee has a family emergency and does not come to work, the manager will fire them and not understand where they are coming from. This describes the manager as an unfair manager where the employee is affected by the unjust law. Some laws in today’s society that consider unjust are by stopping driver’s licenses or money bailing. Some people believe that the government is an unjust form of government
3. Based on our discussion of question 1, one example of an unjust law that is in the US today is suspending driver’s licenses. An example of a just law that is in the US today is traffic law that allows us to know what we put into the group for example water.

1.) According to Martin Luther King Jr, a “just” law is a manmade code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. Whilst a “unjust” law is a code that is out of harmony with moral law. In other words, we can tell the difference between the two because while a “just” law is rule of conduct developed by the government or a society in which it aims to protect and ensure crime does not go unpunished. An “unjust” crime is something that is morally wrong, something that you would feel is wrong to do but is not punishable by law. 

2.) I strongly believe that the distinction between “just” and “unjust” laws plays a key role in the way we live our lives because it aids in our ability to know what is right and wrong. An individual may choose to be an upstanding citizen by obeying the laws and ensuring that they contribute to the peaceful flow of the society in which they live in. They know that by breaking “just” laws, they will be punished and have their honest reputation ruined by such. But on the other hand, they may not notice that they engage in “unjust” laws because these laws are not punishable by law. For example, they may cut across the line in front of someone without saying “excuse me.” It is morally wrong due to lack of manners, but it is not something to justify as criminal. On the other hand, there is politics which can be affected by such as well because it affects the type of individuals that we choose to have control over this country, who can make promises that will be favorable to certain people and make a good image. 

3.) – “Unjust” Law Example: There is a man and a woman who have been hired at the same time at a local grocery store. Although their work ethic and attitude are equal in comparison, it becomes apparent that the manager likes the male counterpart over the female. He decides to raise his salary and give him a promotion, making him a manager now. The female decides to ask for the same and is refused due to favoritism in sex. This is an example of unjust laws because it is morally wrong to deny her the same treatment due preference of sex.  

– “Just” Law: It is Jonathan’s 18^th birthday next month and he wishes to participate in the upcoming elections for President. The legal age to vote in the United States is 18 years old but he is still currently 17 at the time of voting. He decides to cast his vote within the ballots despite the age requirement not being met. This example would be a “just” law because the law requires you to be a certain age but by Jonathan casting his vote for the ballot, he is breaking the law even if the action is not violent or harming anyone.