[DFT] FWD: [ChivalryToday] Justice & Unjust Laws

[Rendell Skaggs]

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Justice and Unjust Laws
By Scott Farrell
©2003 Shining Armor Enterprises
www.ChivalryToday.com

Justice is one of the Seven Knightly Virtues of the Code of Chivalry 
Today, and while a knight in shining armor has the responsibility to 
uphold justice on a daily basis - in the workplace, among members of 
the family, in games and sports, and in the classroom - you cannot 
expect justice of others while ignoring it in yourself. Justice must 
come from within, which means that knights in shining armor always play 
by the rules and live within the law, even when those rules and laws 
are inconvenient.

This aspect of the knightly virtue of justice is sometimes 
misconstrued, however, as docile obedience. "How can you be a heroic, 
chivalrous knight if you're always blindly following the rules?"

Of course, a knight in shining armor is more than an unquestioning 
pawn. In fact, the Code of Chivalry and the knightly virtue of justice 
both demand constant examination and evaluation of laws and rules. 
There is no doubt that some rules are unfair and some laws are unjust - 
the challenge is in dealing with those rules and laws when you find 
them.

Some people claim that refusing to abide by unjust laws is a form of 
protest. Indeed, one of the most powerful tools for social change in 
modern society is "civil disobedience." This concept, used to great 
effect by human rights pioneers including Henry David Thoreau, Mohandas 
Gandhi, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, does in fact advocate 
protesting repressive laws and policies by breaking them - but there is 
a big difference between deliberate, organized, public disobedience of 
the law and skirting the rules for your own convenience or advantage. 
Violating the speed limit or cheating on your taxes is not the same 
thing as being arrested to advance the cause of legal reform.

So, what recourse does a knight in shining armor have when he or she 
truly feels that the law is unjust or the rules are unfair? The answer 
is simple, but also very complex: get involved.

A medieval knight didn't fight for justice by hiding in his castle - 
instead, he strapped on his armor and put himself at risk in order to 
champion a worthy cause. Similarly, modern knights have a duty to take 
arms in order to overturn injustice. When you feel a policy or 
regulation is unjust, you can compose an op-ed article for your local 
newspaper, attend a city council meeting and express your views, write 
to your state or federal representative, volunteer your time to work 
for a candidate you support, or investigate how to get a measure put 
onto the ballot for the next election.

Taking action for change is the chivalrous way to deal with unfair 
laws. Such actions require time and effort, and sometimes result in 
frustration rather than victory. (You may even wind up discovering that 
there are important considerations behind laws that seem unjust.) But 
one of the greatest knights in all of literature, Don Quixote, once 
said that the mark of chivalry is "to see life as it should be, not as 
it is." Working for a fair and equitable society is the sort of valiant 
quest that a knight in shining armor can pursue in order to uphold the 
cause of justice in the modern world.

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Additionally, don't overlook one very effective weapon in a modern 
knight's arsenal: the ballot box. This election day, be sure to 
investigate the issues and candidates on your ballot, and take the time 
to vote. Expressing your opinion on matters of public policy is the 
first step in demonstrating the knightly virtue of justice. Get out and 
vote on October 7th!

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There's always something new at Chivalry Today: Come to the website to 
enjoy a new essay by author Linda Lichter, "What Ever Happened to 
Chivalry?" as well as a variety of new quotes in "Chivalry in Other 
Words."

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Readers are permitted and encouraged to share this article with 
friends, family members and co-workers as a means of promoting chivalry 
in the modern world as well as "getting out the vote." Scott Farrell's 
seminars on chivalry and the knightly virtues are available to 
businesses, schools and civic organizations throughout the Southern 
California area; more information can be found on our website. Please 
include all copyright statements and attributions when sharing Chivalry 
Today articles. Copyright 2003 Scott Farrell and Shining Armor 
Enterprises. Visit our website at www.ChivalryToday.com .

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