Breaking "unjust" laws

[Xeno]

what are your thoughts on this? Do you think it is your duty as a citizen to break a law that you feel to be unjust? Or should we just do what we're told because it is the law?

In my opinion...

...one should never be constricted to laws that prevents them from being truly free in a sense. One can argue that would mean the individual would simply break every law known to mankind to feel truly free, but when one breaks the law I would feel that the individual would simply use common sense. Do not break the law to harm others or to gratify your every desire. Break the laws that harm the innocent. Break the laws that keep you from venturing out into the world that is rightfully yours. Break the laws that would silence you from speaking out the truth and blind you from it as well. Surely, it is a bit "over the top" to promote the breakage of laws, but sometimes one must rise against the "unjustified laws" of the world to make a change. Long ago we were ruled by the British Empire. We rose together to gain our freedom. Long ago African Americans were considered to be slaves and to be used as a means such as "items" to be traded at will. Again, we rose together to gain their freedom as well as certify our beliefs that all everyone in this world is created equal. Surely, we do have problems in this world. We do still have to deal with racism, but it shall always remain cemented in time that we once fought for what we believed in. Some laws are worth breaking, but one must find exactly what laws are worth the risk. I would gladly break any laws that would keep me from helping others, knowing the truth, or being my own unique self in a sense. Though...that is merely my own opinion amongst the millions of individual thoughts out there.​

 

[AUDRAA]

Laws were created for a reason, to maintain some type of order and consistance in the way people do things. If everyone ran around breaking them because they didnt agree with them there would be mass chaos in the country. I mean think about it, some people believe in an eye for an eye. if someone thought that was an unjust law that you couldnt commit murder and just ran around shooting people would that be ok? No it wouldnt but on the other hand if you feel strongly enough to break that law I guess you should be willing to accept the concequence.

 

[Peter Parka]

There's a lot of stupid laws around. I dont go out to deliberately break laws as a protest. I'm more of, if there's something I want to do and the law says I can't, if I can easily do it without getting caught, I'll do it. Drugs is an example of this. It also goes to show what a joke the law is when I can easily get drugs delivered to my home within half an hour, talk openly about it online and still I dont and wont get done. You keep on hearing about the war on drugs, the reality is, there is no war, the law has already lost. It's even funnier how, since M-kat was made illegal, it's easier to get hold of and far more popular than when it was legal.

 

[Accountable]

what are your thoughts on this? Do you think it is your duty as a citizen to break a law that you feel to be unjust? Or should we just do what we're told because it is the law?

Yes, if a law is unjust - which is miles beyond simply disagreeable, inconvenient, or "stupid" - we should all resist it, individually and collectively. To break such a law only when someone isn't looking does nothing. Isn't the whole point of breaking an unjust law to bring it to public light? Breaking an unjust law is a martyr's stand. If it's important enough to protest, surely it's important enough to go to jail for.

 

[Tangerine]

Laws were created for a reason, to maintain some type of order and consistance in the way people do things. If everyone ran around breaking them because they didnt agree with them there would be mass chaos in the country. I mean think about it, some people believe in an eye for an eye. if someone thought that was an unjust law that you couldnt commit murder and just ran around shooting people would that be ok? No it wouldnt but on the other hand if you feel strongly enough to break that law I guess you should be willing to accept the concequence.

There have been plenty of laws in history that were not created for the simple goal of maintaining order. Some were put in place with the very deliberate intention of oppressing and controlling certain people or groups in an unjust way. Freedom requires that people somehow stand up and resist such institutions. The Rosa Parks event is a great example. While she specifically did not break a "law" at the time of her historic moment, there had been actual laws for many years that would have made her actions illegal. The "Jim Crow" laws were very real and a very ugly part of human history.