The Jim Crow Laws and the Holocaust Essay Sample

“If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable” (Louis D. Brandeis). This quote has been many people’s perspective throughout history. People have always attempted to change laws that they believe are unjust because they know no one will do something if no one speaks up. Questioning rules and laws changed the course of history, and we wouldn't be where we are today if people hadn’t demanded change. 

Not every law is just. The Jim Crow Laws were introduced in the post-Civil War, and then repealed in 1968. The Jim Crow Laws legalized segregation and encouraged racism in America. Many human rights activists like Martin Luther King Jr. demanded these laws to be nullified because they were unconstitutional. Racism is not non-existent in America today, but almost everyone gets treated equally by the law, regardless of skin color. If it were not for the activists against the Jim Crow Laws, America would be very different today.

If people don’t do something about unjust laws, then no one will, especially not the government.  The Grand Mosque of Paris is a great example of this. Muslims in Paris helped Jews escape from Nazi-occupied France during the Holocaust. Some Muslims even taught Jews how to talk and act like Muslims, so Nazis wouldn’t send them to concentration camps. Even if they weren’t helping Jews, they wouldn’t help the Nazis find them, and also refused to tell them where the Jews were hiding. Many Muslims risked their lives so Jews could escape to Poland. They may have not spoken up about it like MLK Jr., but they certainly did something about it.

There are so many examples throughout history of why we should always question and speak out against laws that are unconstitutional discriminatory. The Jim Crow Laws and the Holocaust were incredibly biased and without the people who decided that these guidelines were wrong, many individuals would fall victim to unfair treatment. Today, there are still many unfortunate communities that are put at a disadvantage due to prejudice in their region. However, many activists strive to get rid of these prejudiced acts, and many others are speaking out against them. We need more people to protest against these unfair laws to make the world an even better place.