Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

The pressure of racial segregation was reaching a boiling hint in 1963 in Birmingham, atomic number 13. After universe arrested for his social function in the Birmingham Campaign, Dr. Martin Luther poove Jr. wrote an open garner in receipt to A Call for Unity, scripted by eight etiolate clergymen from Birmingham. world powers letter from Birmingham Jail is a true speak for unity, as he clearly states and points turn up facts that the clergymen make believe omitted from their letter. fe potent monarch is clearly not look to stoke the fire of segregation he was merely looking to function the situation at hand and severe to peacefully end racial segregation in the joined States. A Call for Unity, written in early April 1963 (Jonathan, 12-18). Discussion After years of segregation and inequality, unitary troops stood up and fought for what was right. This composition round of reveries and for what he felt as morally right, ethically right, natural truthfully right a nd emotionally right.This man spoke of liberty, brotherhood and equality among all stack, no matter what race they were. He brought forth facts and emotions to America that was being felt by the nigrify community, which was being treated so badly. This man was Martin Luther king Jr. a reverend and civil rights leader, who later was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work. index opened the eyeball of America to a broader sense of understanding, to a wider view of the inequality and detest that almost e precise black person had to live through at that sentence. After several peaceful protests King was arrested for demonstrating in defiance of a court order, by participating in a parade, he was and then taken to Birmingham jail (Leff & Utley, 8-9). on that point in the jail, King wrote a letter to 8 fellow clergymen in response to a letter they publish in a newspaper.King explained in the letter why he did the things he did, and why that had to be d one the way that they were. Kings earn from Birmingham City Jail was written on April 16, 1963. Eight aluminum clergyman wrote an open letter that questioned Kings methods and suggested that he social function of goods and services the court system as a means for change. Kings letter was a reply that was meant to respond to the clergymen and spread his beliefs (KaaVonia, 10-15). In his letter, he responds to some of his criticisms, such as his demonstrations, direct action, and his timing.He, then, explains his motives for acting, and why they were justified. Argument well-nigh Justice and injustice His attitude in the letter changes, at the tooth root he is submissive to the clergys criticism at the end he begins to criticize the clergy. This letter was symbolic of a movement, and all the injustices it faced. King uses ornateness by manipulating language and appealing to the emotions of the contrisolelyor. In Martin Luther King Jrs A Letter from Birmingham Jail addresses eight white clergymen from Birmingham, Alabama, clearly states eight arguments.King uses epigrams as a device to make sure the proofreader pipe down comprehends his message. In the beginning paragraphs, King states what brought him to Birmingham and why he is justified in being in that location. In his argument he alludes to Apostle Paul, and provides dull factual running(a) information some the Southern Christian lead Conference. Even if the reader does not know who Paul is or c be about the SCLC, he can st aguish understand Kings message because of the epigrams he uses (Baldwin & Burrow, 111-118). In summing up what brought him here King regulates, Injustice whatsoeverwhere is a threat to justice everywhere.In answering why he is justified in being in Birmingham, King says, Anyone who lives in the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere in the surface ara (King, 122-128). Now the reader knows through the use of epigrams that King was brought there because there is injustice in Birmingham and that he has a right to be in Birmingham because he is an American and Birmingham is an American City. Blacks are going through a reallyly tough time during this total darkness revolution in 1963 and Dr. King accentuates the point by the use of strong diction, which set the tone of the letter.For example, Dr. King elucidates the reason his great deal cant wait for their rights and thats because hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill his black brothers and sisters and that fundamentally most white great deal torment them any chance they jump. In the letter written by the clergyman they say ( care it was something new), that they were now lining demonstrations led by outsiders (King). Religious appeals in Kings latter(prenominal) King wants them to know that he is not really an outsider yet the president of The Southern Christian Leadership Conference with an affiliation in Birmingham.He wants to point out that he not only has organizational ties but also was invited to participate in the direct action computer program in Birmingham in support of desegregation. In the course of the letter, King uses philosophical, unearthly and historical examples to get his points across. In order to gain control of the reader Martin Luther King Jr. includes vivid images of cruel acts that African Americans in Birmingham endured. Concerning this unsettling time in society King could accommodate described many of the debauched and unfair acts that he encountered on a daily basis.Instead he portrayed these situations by asking rhetorical questions about women, children and loved ones carry the hardships Negroes faced into the lives of men of all cultures. It does not matter if you are black, if you are white, if you are Asian, if you are Hispanic, or if you are a mixture of any race, through Kings words you could imagine yourself in any of the situations he describes. With the strength to touch the reader on not only a individual ised level, but also an intimate one Martin Luther King Jr. began to pair the gap betwixt the races (Jessica, 222-225). King consistently brought up the point of morality.Pointing out that certain things are moral and other things arent. For example King talked about having two different drinking fountains or having blacks sit at the rump of the bus, aphorism that it just wasnt morally right. And that morally right would be to defy unity and brotherhood among all people. King tries to show the difference betwixt just and unjust laws, it is because of these two terms that we can advocate pause some laws, and obeying others (King, 122-128). Segregation in his eyes is and unjust law because it disturbs the nous and damages the personality (King, 122-128).These are both qualifications of an unjust law. Society like a shot is filled with unjust laws. In many schools females are still require from joining a football team, because the school believes they do not have what it take s. By not allowing this person to join the team they are fetching away a part of her personality, a piece of who she is and denying her to express it. King also discusses another perspective of just and unjust laws. He explains that an unjust law is made up by a majority of people whom force a minority to follow this law however the law is not binding on themselves.A just law is one that a majority makes and is also willing to follow themselves. Thus wake that is the only fair law is one that affects all citizens in an evenly just way. King states how the Apostle Paul carried the gospel of Jesus Christ everyplace the land, and thus compares himself to him. One way King addresses the eight clergymen and justifies his presence in Birmingham is by comparing himself to the Apostle Paul. He is trying to take the gospel of freedom over the land of America. This idea relates to peoples emotion because most people are religious and believe in god and Jesus Christ.By canvass himself to the Apostle Paul strikes deep emotion in most people, and almost saying that he is trying to do the work of God by trying to achieve true freedom, this analogy is a great example of pity and Kings use of these appeals to the emotion through examples and figurative language (Carson, Holloran, Luker, Russell & King, 10-15). King uses commiseration not just from the Bible but also by evolving ideas from man warfare II We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was legal and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was illegal.It was illegal to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitlers Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If at present I lived in a Communist country where certain principles effective to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that countrys antireligious laws (King, 122-128). hither King refers to all the horrible laws that Hitler created in Germany before World War II. He cites how, It was illegal to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitlers Germany.He is using this example to compare Germanys laws against Jews to separate but equal law of the time against black people (Jessica, 222-225). Creating ethos is a way for a writer to gain the trust of the reader. It can be used to show the speciality of ones writing the writers credibility. King illustrates this quality of ethos when he explains his professional titles I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational, and financial resources with our affiliates (King, 122-128). here(predicate) King shows his credibility by citing what his organization, the Sou thern Christian Leadership Conference, which is in every southern state, does (Baldwin & Burrow, 111-118). Furthermore, Martin Luther King explains to the clergymen in the letter that they have been misinformed on the situation and that not all is alright.King quotes the clergymens original letter which commended the Birmingham police for their great efforts in keeping order and preventing personnel, King is degenerate to correct them that they would have not commended the police force if they viewed the gruesome violence which occurred that day firsthand. King concludes the paragraph with. I cannot join you in your cheers of the Birmingham police department (King, 122-128). This statement comes off as a very bold statement to the clergymen after reading the details of the violence previously. split up xiv of Kings latter In paragraph fourteen he uses emotional reference when he says when you have seen vicious mobs kill your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters an d brothers at whim (King, 122-128), he doesnt call them Negro, so that the audience could relate to them. He wants them to know how a black man feels always feeling like nobody and being afraid. In the next nine paragraphs he describes in detail the difference between a just law and an unjust law.This time he uses religious leaders such as St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas, Martin Buber and Paul Tillich as examples to get his idea across. He says that a just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God (King, 122-128). In paragraph 23, he begins to criticize the white moderates People who say they agree with segregation but do not want the Negro people to demonstrate because they don t want their lives disrupted (King, 122-128).King says that these people are worst than the Ku Klux Klan and other people of ill will, because of their modify understanding (King & King, 45-48). Lastly, King provides a very good insight for the clueless in his letter from jai l. King states that he wished that the clergymen had actually realized who the real heroes were that day. King had received a letter from a white man from Texas saying that he will reach his equal rights eventually but that maybe he is in too much of a religious hurry.King states that time are not the cure to all maladies, and that his people must use their time more effectively than the people of ill will. King seems to have a perfect response to all arguments thrown and twisted at him, but none appear to be flawed of course. There was no other way for the black community to get their point across because they were not being listened. There is no point in this letter where King incites violence, if anything he completely against it and will stop at nothing to ensure that there is no more violence (Leff & Utley, 8-9). Letter from Birmingham Jail is one of the most touching pieces of writing. All of Kings Arguments are effective, peculiarly in paragraph fourteen. This letter at time s can be hard to read because King gives real life examples of what it is actually like to be black and living in the 60s south.This letter sparks a realization, which people have never recognized before reading this, this latter masking the terrible and disgraceful treatment of the black community. Conclusion A Letter from Birmingham Jail was an opportunity for Martin Luther King Jr. o express to the populace his views and the views of other African Americans throughout the South. The effects of Kings experiences depicted by his use of language resulted in radical changes for African Americans throughout the nation. It was a bigger victory to sway the Alabama clergymen than to change the mind of a recalcitrant group of white males, because it proved that the typical southern white male is equal in every way shape and form to that of an African American. Martin Luther King Jr. Once said, I have a dream and dream he did.