… You express a great deal of anxiety over our

willingness to break laws. This is certainly a

legitimate concern. Since we so diligently urge

people to obey the Supreme Court’s decision of

1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools,

at first glance it may seem rather paradoxical for

us consciously to break laws. One may want to

ask: “How can you advocate breaking some laws

and obeying others?” The answer lies in the fact

that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I

would be the first to advocate obeying just laws.

One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility

to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral

responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would

agree with St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no

law at all.”…

— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,

“Letter from Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963


Which statement most accurately summarizes the

main idea of the passage?

(1) People must obey Supreme Court decisions.

(2) You can never break some laws while obeying

others.

(3) Violence brings faster results than peaceful

protest.

(4) Following moral principles is sometimes

more important than following the law.