“Any law that degrades human personality is unjust”, was written by Martin Luther King Jr in his Letter From Birmingham Jail.(Martin Luther King Jr 196-214) He is speaking about segregation laws in the united states during the 1960s. As a person extremely interested in law and the injustice the US legal system has on citizens I found this quote extremely insightful and true for today’s society. Though racism and segregation amongst African Americans have diminished it still exists in other groups. Though our laws no longer allow certain people to be banned from certain areas we do have laws that are unjust because they degrade the simple concept of human rights.
Throughout my childhood I was raised to believe that everyone was equal no matter what their beliefs or choices lead them to “be”. I was raised as many people would classify as liberal. At the age of six I already understood that men could love men and woman could love women just like men love women. Later I learned that the rest of the world did not have these same views. I took a deep interest in the injustice felt by homosexual couples. In the 1980s when the aids epidemic became publicized as a Gay disease started and spread by homosexual males, the citizens of the United States took there misunderstanding to a whole new level. Gay men and women were beat to death, terrorized by police officers, and in some states people were fired from their jobs for being or associating with homosexuals. The reasoning behind these awful acts were the peoples inability to educate themselves on the situation and behaviors of a minority group.
The 1980s set the ground for homosexual men and women to stand up against unruly behavior from state and national law. With that foundation...
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...sexual orientation. Everyday we become closer and closer to the promise of a country where people can come to escape the injustice of their own country. But if we continue to sit idle and let our government back track on all that we have accomplished by allowing camouflaged segregation laws we will never be as Ronal Reagan emphasized our country to be. “America is a shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere.” (Reagan)
Work Cited
Archibold, Ronald. "Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration." New York Times 24 Apr 2010. Web. 6 Mar 2011
King, Martin Luther. "Letter From Birmingham Jail." The Mercury Reader Ideas That Matter: reading for English 111. ED. Patrick F. Boles. New York: Pearson, 2009. Print.
Reagan, Ronald. Ronald Reagans Farewell Speech. White House Oval Office, Washington D.C.. 11 Jan 1989. Address.
footsteps of Jesus. In all our work, Corrymeela seeks to establish a "safe place" where people feel accepted and valued. During a stay at Corrymeela, a person is invited to become part of a "community" that transcends the divisions, which are so powerful in much of life in Northern Ireland. In a secure atmosphere, there is an opportunity to grow in understanding as we listen to one another’s life experiences. We find that "listening" to others, and "telling" our story is a way of growing closer