The fight for rights: who did it better? Human Rights: Moral principles or norms that describe certain standards of human behavior and are regularly protected as legal rights in local and international law. For centuries, individuals have fought for their human rights, whether they are the rights for individuals of color, the rights for immigrants, or the rights for those living in poverty. Indeed, we continue to face such issues today. In any case, we have made considerable progress since activists like Martin Luther King Jr, or Eleanor Roosevelt stood up for the benefit of those with mismanaged rights, such as those within the black community or victims of a world war. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay After over 3 centuries of waiting for justice within the black community, conditions have worsened due to the drastic increase in the amount of racial discrimination. Activist Martin Luther King Jr, a devout clergyman and dissident, rose from his prison cell in Birmingham after protesting the unreasonable treatment of minority people. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr makes it clear that it is critical that the black community take immediate action. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King addresses the current situation, believing that areas like Birmingham must contend with increasing discrimination and unjust laws still in place. Dr. Martin Luther King decided to take action by starting nonviolent campaigns in an attempt to end segregation and regain moral rights. While locked up in Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King chose to set an example for his followers and the black community as a whole. Dr. King provides appropriate techniques for dissent that exclude acts of ferocity or bloodshed, usually committed during protests: “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: gathering facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action”. While the people of Birmingham have consistently participated in non-violent protests, Dr. King has been able to bring to our attention that these will remain, consistently refusing to engage in good faith negotiations. Dr. King also argued that an oppressor will never willingly grant freedom to the oppressed, raising the fact that the majority of people in Birmingham simply bypassed the injustice even though they were the ones affected by it. Unfortunately, it is a historical fact that privileged groups rarely give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals can see the moral light and voluntarily renounce their unjust position; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.” Dr. King ties back to classic racism and how people of color have developed a certain mindset centered around being humiliated by “privileged” groups: “When you're humiliated day after day by annoying signs that say 'white' and ' color"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (no matter your age), and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs." ; when you are tormented by day and haunted by night by the fact of being a nigger, constantly living on tiptoe, never knowing what to expect next. Dr. Martin Luther King also refers to the Constitution which guarantees fundamental rights to all men. These rights,however, they only serve those from privileged groups, preferably whites and not those of color. Dr. King uses parallelism to promote this idea of classical racism. Dr. King explains that while these "fair" laws are only offered to the privileged, it is as if there was no law presented in the first place. - "How can you support the violation of some laws and obedience? others?" The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obedience to just laws. One has not only a legal but moral responsibility to obey just laws. On the contrary, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all." Dr. Martin Luther King explains that just laws should be developed to coincide with the needs of all people's status, as well as moral law and the laws of God. Laws should not be created to give the privileged a false sense of superiority or to give the less privileged a sense of inferiority. Dr. King uses pathos to further develop his argument While Dr. Martin Luther King fought for the equality of the black and white community during the mid-20th century, a few decades earlier lived a woman named Eleanor Roosevelt, who was the first lady of the United States for the longest period of time. In addition to being President Eleanor's wife, she has worked as an activist, writer, politician and diplomat. On February 16, 1946, while dealing with the shocking violation of human rights suffered by the victims of World War II, the United Nations established a Commission on Human Rights, of which Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the persons. The United Nations selected Eleanor as a delegate allowing her to convey to the commission her long responsibility for human balance and sympathy, her long involvement in government issues and campaigns, and her subsequent sympathy towards those displaced after World War II. He began work on a Universal Declaration of Human Rights, composing parts of its content, keeping the dialect immediate and clear and focused on human balance: “the language of these amendments has been embellished a little, but the substance is the same amendments proposed by the Soviet delegation". In her speech, "On the Adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights", Eleanor explains how the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the product of the reflections of many men and that the document itself cannot address all the issues involved. Roosevelt also discusses how they must continue to cooperate with the majority by continuing to “persuade and ultimately succeed.” Eleanor discusses the amendments contained in the declaration as “the first two paragraphs of the amendment to Article 3” which concern minorities. Roosevelt continues to note that the provision refers to group rights rather than individual rights. Roosevelt notes that we should keep “in mind the fundamental character of the document,” for it does not serve as a treaty.” Rather, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights should serve simply as “a common standard of achievement for all peoples of all nations.” Both Martin Luther King Jr and Eleanor Roosevelt address the issue of human rights and insist that it is terrible that “the unfinished task that lies before us” is being handled. Dr. King however presents a reasonably stronger argument than Eleanor. Eleanor simply discusses how the declaration should form a basis for human rights and how we should work according to it. It doesn't give much reason as to why the statement should be.
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