Unjust Laws
We all know that there are varying degrees of crimes and the laws that apply to them. Stealing merchandise from a store is not the same as an adult killing another person, though both actions are illegal… and the laws that apply to them are just. They are laws that are reasonable, correct, and moral… they are based in the factual aspects of the acts they address.
Some laws, however, are not just… and should be changed.
When our country was created, there were many who wanted to abolish slavery at the same time… but after considerable debate, it was determined there would not be enough support to fight the British if that was a component of the new nation’s Constitution. Though reluctant, our Founders made the right choice to forego addressing the issue of slavery until later. Had they decided otherwise, we most likely would not have been able to defeat the British and our country would never have been.
Although it took several generations, our Constitution was finally amended to abolish slavery in the historic act by Abraham Lincoln. This is a good example of an unjust law that was changed. Another would be the right of women to vote. Both were huge social issues in their time.
It is the moral obligation of citizens of our country to obey just laws… and to work WITHIN THE SYSTEM to overturn unjust laws.
For example, there is a law that makes it illegal to take an eagle’s egg from its nest without specific government approval. This is because the egg most likely not hatch if someone takes it from the nest… even if they put it back! There are exceptions for some circumstances, such as saving abandoned eggs or certain biological studies where the egg will be hatched in captivity, in which case a permit must be obtained to remove the egg from the nest. This is a just law, in my view. Why shouldn’t we protect birds from curiosity seekers or those who want to traffic in wild birds?
At the same time, there is no law against purposely removing the unborn fetus from the mother of a human being and, as a result, killing it.
The largest social issue of the past few decades is abortion. Since 1973, over 40 million innocent beings have been destroyed. Even if you take the view that there are some special circumstances where abortion is acceptable, those cases are actually quite rare…. the occur far, far, far less than the HUGE and climbing number of abortions in our country. Abortion has become nothing more than a form of birth control… and an atrocious one, at that.
The so-called “right” to abortion and the law enabling it is an unjust law. Everyone knows what the medical facts are… but we allow the practice to continue despite the obvious moral implications. Aside from the death of millions of helpless, there is the mindset associated with abortion… a relativism that blurs clear thought in other areas. Even if it isn’t recognized (or admitted) consciously, deep down people know it is wrong to kill an unborn baby. But, once a person accepts such a despicable act, then other questionable behaviors become acceptable, too.
A just law is consistent with other laws… and with the facts… and with morality.
