Final answer:
Although it is true that laws cannot immediately change individual attitudes or prejudices, they can help to create a societal framework for change. Therefore, the assertion that laws are incapable of changing people's hearts is not a valid reason for perpetuating systems of segregation.
Step-by-step explanation:
You're referring to a complex issue tied to the history of desegregation in the United States. While it is accurate to say that you cannot directly change a person's attitudes or feelings with legislation, laws can create a context for gradual societal change. For instance, the civil rights legislation passed in the US during the 1960s didn't immediately eradicate racial prejudice, but it did put an end to segregation and initiated a lengthy process of societal change. The idea that laws cannot change hearts may hold some truth, but laws can create conditions that encourage understanding and change over time. Therefore, it is not a valid reason to continue segregation.
Learn more about Desegregation and societal change