TOPIC: ISSUE17 - "There are two types of laws: just and unjust. Every individual in a society has a responsibility to obey just laws and, even more importantly, to disobey and resist unjust laws."
WORDS: 424
TIME: 00:50:00
DATE: 2010-7-15 1:22:12
The speaker asserts that it's our duty to disobey and resist unjust laws. It is even more important than obey just laws. It might be tempting to agree with the speaker in the basis that incomplete laws exist. Nevertheless, the speaker overlooks the definition of unjust and the possible negative effect of disobeying laws for one's own perspective.
Laws are set up by the government, serving as a mean to keep the country safe and the economy steady. Admittedly laws can not cover all cases, even though it is established in order to bound what one can do. Therefore omits in laws is hard to avoid, which may affect daily lives of people and even the social security.
However, we need to analyze the proposition comprehensively and systematically. In the first place, the meaning of unjust differs from each person. As people's goals vary, laws aim at garantee the majority's benefits, which inevitably weakening others. So the word unjust is a relative conception which is hard to take everyone's benefits into concern.
Considered that to judge whether a law is just or unjust is almost impossible, the idea to disobey and resist unjust laws is related to selfishness. For instance, a thief may insist that he thieves cause he can't afford his mother's high medical care expenses, unwared that his behavior brings others into troubles. For interests of the majority, the law will punish him, though we have mercy on him. To keep people’s life stable, we are required to obey the laws, no matter whether it is just or not for personal points of view.
To obey the laws under whatever conditions doesn’t mean that some changes is not allowed. When a person feels that his or her interest is harmed by laws, certain disadvantages of the law is revealed. Obeying these laws with all subjection can only lead to accumulations of even more problems and ultimately the decay of the society. To solve the conflicts between individuals and so-called unjust laws, we needn’t to resist it violently, but to report the situation to legislations, which is the most proper way to clean up hidden dangers and maintain sustainable development.
In addition, special laws have been set up for the disabled and handicapped, which makes special group’s living more easier. Such laws cannot be connected with unjust out of our conscience.
To sum up, the assertion which classifies laws into two categories-just ones and unjust ones-is not feasible, yet we can improve it through peaceful ways, not simply obeying it or insisting it.
|