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In any civilized society, it is every citizen's responsibility to obey just laws. But at the same time, it is every citizen's responsibility to disobey unjust laws.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Citizens must follow fair laws while also challenging unjust ones.

This quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. emphasizes the dual responsibility of citizens in a society: to uphold the law when it is just and fair, and to resist and challenge laws that are unjust. It reflects a moral imperative to advocate for justice and equality, highlighting that obedience to law does not mean passive acceptance of injustice.

Themes

JusticeLawsResponsibilityCivil RightsSocietyMorality

In practice

Example use cases

During a speech at a civil rights rally to inspire activism against unfair laws.

More from Martin Luther King, Jr.

This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love.
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Quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. | QuoteProject