We know, we know—this one's kind of a given. The whole reason "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was written in the first place is because there was injustice in the world. Defeating that injustice was Dr. King's whole thing. We have to wonder what he would have done with his life if there wasn't any injustice to fight. Would he have been an explorer? A diplomat? Or something more humble, like a farmer?
As it was, he became a professional peace vigilante, resisting racism, bigotry, ignorance, poverty, and war wherever it lurked. He honestly believed that someday, justice would prevail, that it was an unstoppable force. That didn't mean you could just sit down and wait for it—you had to oppose injustice at every turn. Even if it landed you in Birmingham Jail.
Questions About Injustice
- Where did Dr. King's sense of justice come from?
- What does MLK think laws have to do with justice?
- Is there a universal truth about justice and injustice that goes beyond individual religions and moral codes?
- What would just world would look like according to MLK? All rainbows and holding hands?
Chew on This
Laws don't have any direct relation to true justice; they can be right or wrong depending on the people who wrote them.
Without laws, we couldn't have any realistic chance of achieving true justice in a human society.