Will you still do the right thing - even when it's illegal?

The line between legality and morality can sometimes be blurred, creating a tension that can be felt dramatically for some. It has shaped history and public conscience. But, what will you do if doing what is right becomes something that could land you in jail, or worse? Where is your line? 

Would you have harbored slaves or helped with the Underground Railroad? Or would you watch as our black brothers and sisters were treated horrifically? Participating in the Underground Railroad would have been illegal under the Fugitive Slave Act. This is one example of a completely unjust act of the American government in history. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required citizens to assist in the capture of escaped slaves, penalized anyone who helped fugitives with up to $1,000 fine (a huge amount then) and 6 months in jail. It also denied the alleged fugitives the right to a jury trial or even to testify on their own behalf. That last part is sounding eerily similar to current events. Levi Coffin was a white Quaker who helped an estimated 3,000 enslaved people escape. He was constantly harassed and watched but avoided arrest - likely because of his social status. This is what I would call using your white privilege for good. Harriet Tubman escaped slavery herself and returned at least 13 times, rescuing over 70 people, risking her life every time she went back. William Still was a free Black man in Philadelphia who kept detailed records of fugitives and helped hundreds of people escape. 

Now, what if you lived in Nazi-occupied Europe - would you hide Jews during the Holocaust? Protecting Jewish families from deportation was a capital offense. Would you be like Oskar Schindler who saved over 1,200 Jews by employing them in his enamelware and munitions factories, claiming they were essential workers. He used bribery, falsified documents, and personal wealth to shield his workers. He did survive the war but died in poverty. Or would you be like Miep Gies who hid Anne Frank and her family in secret annex above her workplace. There was also Irena Sendler who smuggled 2,500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto using fake documents, ambulances, and sewer systems. She recorded their real names in jars buried under a tree so families could be reunited. She was arrested by the Gestapo, tortured, and sentenced to death. She escaped thanks to a bribe from the Polish resistance and survived the war. The Ten Boom Family hid dozens of Jews in their home above a watch shop. They were eventually caught in a raid. Corrie ten Boom survived a concentration camp. However, her father and sister died in prison. Or would you be like many of the neighbors in occupied countries who ignored signs that Jews were in hiding or reported suspicious activity for rewards or out of fear of being punished themselves. Many reclaimed property or belongings of deported Jews without question. What if you were there when Jews were rounded up and publicly deported in trucks or trains from cities across Europe? Would you be afraid? Some civilians believed the propaganda that Jews were "relocated" for labor. A few cheered or shouted slurs, but most were silent. The European rail workers operated the trains that transported Jews to death camps. Many simply followed orders, moving cargo like any other job. Very few ever sabotaged or slowed the process. In Germany, both Protestant and Catholic leaders mostly complied with Nazi restrictions. Pope Pius XII has long been criticized for not publicly condemning the Holocaust. 

Whistleblowing or leaking information that reveals government or corporate wrongdoing is often criminalized, yet viewed by some as ethical truth-telling. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for acts against a legal system built on racism. Many laws he violated were unjust by today's standards. Homosexuality has historically been criminalized in many places. People who lived openly despite this were often punished by law, but led the way toward equality. 

What could become illegal if the current administration continues down the path it is on now? Well, helping climate refugees or migrants could become illegal. Some would argue that has already happened as a judge was arrested for allegedly helping an immigrant escape from ICE. Humanitarian aid may become criminalized. What about teachers in regions where curricula are restricted? Teachers could be punished for teaching certain truths (e.g., about slavery, gender identity). In areas where abortion or even contraception access is restricted, helping someone get medical care might be illegal. Did you know that some cities fine people for giving food to unhoused individuals in public spaces?

So what happens when morality and legality conflict? Who decides what is "right" - the law, society, or conscience? Is there a universal ethic, or is it always context-based? Can doing the "wrong" thing legally make someone complicit in injustice? 

The silence and inaction of ordinary people often make atrocities possible. Doing nothing isn't neutral when it supports injustice. History won't only remember the heroes, it will also remember the silence. In Nazi-occupied Europe, millions of ordinary people didn't raise a hand against their neighbors. They didn't pull the trigger, drive the trains, or build the camps - but they watched. They stayed quiet. They told themselves it wasn't their business or that they were just trying to survive. But doing nothing wasn't neutral - it was complicity by absence. It helped injustice thrive. 

And that's the uncomfortable truth: the line between "good" and "evil" isn't always dramatic. Sometimes it's as small as a decision to look away. Or stay silent. Or follow the rules instead of doing what's right. So, will you still do the right thing - even when it's illegal? And perhaps just as urgently: Will you do the right thing - even when it's uncomfortable, unpopular, or inconvenient?

Because history repeats itself not just when bad people rise - but when good people stay quiet.