Challenging the System

“Unjust laws exist: shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once?” (Thoreau) As Thoreau wrote in his Civil Disobedience, unjust laws exist. The implication he makes in this passage is that policies seen as unjust should be acted against to, eventually, through time and effort, be abolished. People in today’s society have chosen to speak out against these policies, but what defines an unjust law? According to Webster’s Dictionary, an unjust policy is a policy that is unfair ("Unjust." Webster). What does this really mean, though? Rules or policies that do not positively impact the majority are unjust and therefore should be protested.

Protests of unjust policies date back to the Civil Rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the first people to effectively protest an unjust policy. He did so by means of peaceful protesting. According to March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, over 200,000 people participated in a movement lead by Martin Luther King Jr. called the March on Washington. John F. Kennedy’s administration felt forced to begin a bill for civil rights as a result of the march ("March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”). During the Civil Rights movement, the March on Washington was a protest intended to draw attention to the segregation across America. Before Martin Luther King could push for total equality, however, he needed the support from as many people in the community as possible. Rather than starting riots or other forms of violent protesting, Martin Luther King Jr. effectively and peacefully preached civil rights. Protesting in this peaceful way was successful. Immediate effects were not seen, but the event was greatly covered by the media. Eventually, a civil rights bill was passed, but even better, everyone who was in or who saw the event was impacted ("The March on Washington”). Martin Luther King Jr.’s event is proof that peaceful protests are truly effective and impactful. Through his protest and speech, Martin Luther King Jr. became an American icon for peaceful protesting.

In order to effectively change unjust policies, people have to establish a sense of authority. This often shows through emotionally manipulating the community for their support. Martin Luther King Jr. was a great example of this idea, because as representative John Lewis said, “Dr. King had the power, the ability, and the capacity to transform those steps on the Lincoln Memorial into a monumental area that will forever be recognized. By speaking the way he did, he educated, he inspired, he informed not just the people there, but people throughout America and unborn generations” ("Martin Luther King Jr. Online”). This passage mentions the effect Martin Luther King Jr. had on Americans. Through his speech, Martin Luther King Jr. not only inspired, but also taught the community that