--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One who breaks an unjust law must do so…" description: "\"One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.\" — Martin Luther King, Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b65/martin-luther-king-jr-127_accepting_one-who-breaks-an-unjust-law-must-do-so_535192.png" --- # One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly… ![“One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.” quote by Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b65/martin-luther-king-jr-127_accepting_one-who-breaks-an-unjust-law-must-do-so_535192.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b65/martin-luther-king-jr-127_accepting_one-who-breaks-an-unjust-law-must-do-so_535192.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b65/martin-luther-king-jr-127_accepting_one-who-breaks-an-unjust-law-must-do-so_535192.png) > “One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.” [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Civil disobedience against unjust laws should be done openly, with love, and accepting consequences. **In simple terms:** Break unjust laws openly and lovingly, accepting penalties. Key Takeaway Stand up for justice with love. Themes justice civil disobedience ethics Mood determined hopeful Type ethical political When to use this quote - protests - legal challenges - activism Key Concepts nonviolent resistance moral courage Questions to Reflect On - What unjust law would you challenge? - How can love guide protest? A Different Perspective Risk of personal harm and legal repercussions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Penalties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/penalties/) [Unjust law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unjust-law/) [Unjust laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unjust-laws/) [Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness/) ## Related quotes > [There comes a point at which a law can be so unjust it is necessary openly, lovingly and with a willingness to accept the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-p-george/there-comes-a-point-at-which-a-law-can-be-so-unjust-it-is-necessary/) [Robert P. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-p-george/) > [One who breaks an unjust law that conscience tells him is unjust ... is in reality expressing the highest respect for law ... We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/one-who-breaks-an-unjust-law-that-conscience-tells-him-is-unjust-is/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/one-has-not-only-a-legal-but-a-moral-responsibility-to-obey-just-laws/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There are two types of laws: there are just laws and there are unjust laws... What is the difference between the two?...An unjust law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/there-are-two-types-of-laws-there-are-just-laws-and-there-are-unjust/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/a-just-law-is-a-man-made-code-that-squares-with-the-moral-law-or-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/to-put-it-in-the-terms-of-st-thomas-aquinas-an-unjust-law-is-a-human/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [In the first place, an unjust law exists in this Commonwealth, by which marriages between persons of different color is pronounced illegal. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-m-child/in-the-first-place-an-unjust-law-exists-in-this-commonwealth-by-which/) [Lydia M. Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-m-child/) > [An unjust law is itself a species of violence. Arrest for its breach is more so. 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Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-f-stone/) > [An unjust law in itself is an act of violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/an-unjust-law-in-itself-is-an-act-of-violence/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [When I refuse to obey an unjust law, I do not contest the right of the majority to command, but I simply appeal from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/when-i-refuse-to-obey-an-unjust-law-i-do-not-contest-the-right-of-the/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [A unjust law, is no law at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/a-unjust-law-is-no-law-at-all/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“If their rules made sense and sense ruled— If their laws weren’t so brok- en I wouldn’t break ‘em.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-duffield/if-their-rules-made-sense-and-sense-ruled-if-their-laws-weren-t-so/) Roy Duffield ## More by Martin Luther King, Jr > [The strong man holds in a living blend strongly marked opposites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-strong-man-holds-in-a-living-blend-strongly-marked-opposites/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-remember-that-intelligence-is-not-enough-intelligence-plus/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I’ve been to the Mountaintop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-ve-been-to-the-mountaintop/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-supreme-task-is-to-organize-and-unite-people-so-that-their-anger/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-great-issue-of-life-is-to-harness-the-drum-major-instinct/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somebody-must-have-sense-enough-and-morality-enough-to-cut-off-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/darkness-is-only-driven-out-with-light-not-more-darkness/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [What seems so necessary today may not even be desirable tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-seems-so-necessary-today-may-not-even-be-desirable-tomorrow/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The Negro cannot win the respect of his oppressor by acquiescing; he merely increases the oppressor's arrogance and contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-negro-cannot-win-the-respect-of-his-oppressor-by-acquiescing-he/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-majority-of-the-negroes-who-took-part-in-the-year-long-boycott-of/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/whenever-you-are-engaged-in-work-that-serves-humanity-and-is-for-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-have-a-dream-that-one-day-even-the-state-of-mississippi-a-desert/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) [Explore all 1,210 Martin Luther King, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! 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If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. 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