An Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail

During the course of living human being are subjected to many controversial arguments and ethical stations. Education in concept of ethical reasoning and in the fundamentals of the principles are important for one to be skilled in ethical reasoning. Ethical reasoning is a very important element in human nature of living either professionally or individually. Ethical reasoning offers critics with the capability to represent viewpoints, ideas and make judgement. Moreover ethical reasoning enable critics’ to consciously give examination for them to reach a solution that does not harm anybody else. Ethical reasoning can be defined as arguing the wrong and the right of human behavior.

During the time Martin Luther King Jr. wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” April 16, 1963, while he was in the Birmingham City Jail in Birmingham, Alabama, the world King lived was different form today. A world where blacks and whites where segregated from everything around them. The people of color were treated unequally. The laws during the time was unjustified. The treatment towards the people of color were brutal and very different than the world today. When King wrote the letter, he was in the jail cell because he was arrested for participating in the nonviolent direct-action program march against segregation and he did not have a permit. In Kings letter, he was defending his nonviolent direct-action for segregation to the white clergymen and declaring that the law was unjustified for the people of color.

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter “Letter From Birmingham Jail” he attempts to explain himself to the clergymen that have been criticizing his actions , and explain why he is protesting in the city of Birmingham. In the beginning of this essay, he states his points as to why he belongs in Birmingham at this time, and that he is not an "outsiders coming in”. Further along in this essay he shows the importance of these non violent protest, and that “all communities and states are interrelated, and he feels compelled to work for justice anywhere that injustice is being practiced.” In this Argumentative letter, Dr. King uses many rhetorical appeals to give his argument great strength, and he show cases immense emotions to appeal to the readers to help them relate to the injustice that him and the African American community are facing.

After being arrested in Birmingham on Good Friday of 1963 for his participation in a peaceful anti-segregation march, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote “A Letter From Birmingham Jail” which later became one of his most famous pieces of writing. His letter is a response to the criticism demonstrated by eight prominent white clergymen. These clergymen accused King of civil disobedience and using severe measures that provoke hatred and violence, and advised all those who were in support of King and his demonstrations to withdrawal.

Martin Luther King” letter from Birmingham Jail” is about a letter King wrote to his opponents about why he is taking a nonviolent action against the unjust rule that blacks had to follow. His opponent argued that now is not the time to protest even though they agreed with what he is doing. His opponents said the timing is not right, he should wait a little bit longer. Dr. King addresses his critics by telling them he disagrees with them, what he is doing is right he can no longer wait. He wrote this letter while in jail for protesting without permit. He told them why he disagrees with them by explaining in this letter. He said they have been waiting for 340 years, their patience is running out. King believed nonviolent protest is the only way to go. He understood that by protesting they will break some laws that were there to prevent blacks from doing things in public. But he believed the law that makes illegal for his to protest is unjust law and it’s okay to break unjust laws. To make his point he talked about how civil disobedience was done in the past; how it was illegal for anybody to help the Jews escaped the Nazis and how it was legal to do what the Nazi regime did to the Jewish people. How everything the Hungarian freedom fighters were illegal. He talked about how civil disobedience was used in the past by Christians when they were being forced to follow unjust laws by the Romans.

Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” was written as a counter-argument to the clergyman’s letter towards black activists engaging in protests, which the considered extreme and untimely. King’s

In the past there were many protest operated to fight for something injust or needed awareness for others to know the wrong doings that are present in our country. People fought for their rights and against the prejudice that they have to face, accomplish justice that every single one of them are fighting for. Dr. Martin Luther King, a leader of the protest against prejudice was able to pursue the rights for African American people. However eight of his fellow clergymen criticized his procedure to protest, but they still supported him. In the "Letter from Birmingham Jail", King wanted to encourage others to rebel against the wrong, even if it is not wise it is right, he was optimistic and yet disappointed. In order for him to convey his tone and purpose he reaches out to people by using allusion, analogy, and ethos.

Letters to Birmingham Jail is written by Martin Luther King Jr as a response to eight clergymen who criticize his public protests. They argue that his actions are counter-productive to his movement and pose a potential threat to law and order. This letter expresses King’s feelings towards injustice that has occurred and also explains the unjust events happening in both Birmingham and the rest of America. King defends his legitimacy of breaking the law through nonviolent protests in an act against segregation and racism and insists that these protests were necessary for progression. He also alludes to many notable thinkers such as Jesus and Socrates to aid in the reasonings of his actions. King states that these demonstrations were bound to

White or colored, everyone deserves their individual civil rights. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter to Birmingham Jail”, he states his strong beliefs and cries for help for earning blacks the same rights and opportunities that all white people are entitled to. King clearly depicts that African Americans are not given any rights, not even the fundamental ones. They are often tortured and ridiculed for being the way that they are, black. King states that freedom is never willingly given by the oppressor, rather that it is fought for from the oppressed, and all blacks have learned that the hard way. There have been innumerous cases of police brutality, bombings in houses belonging to blacks, and

In 1955 Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to vacate her seat for a white woman on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. Following Park’s arrest, a group of Southern activists started the Montgomery Improvement Association and chose Mr. Martin Luther King Jr. as their leader. In order to garner support for his movement of desegregation, King called upon Southern church leaders to gather for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to educate fellow black ministers and leaders on his ideas for direct action. About six years later, King was still helping to lead the fight for racial equality in the southern states. When Martin Luther King Jr. wrote “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” in April of 1963, he wrote with

In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr sees the injustices of the black communities and defends the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism. The letter argues the necessity of immediate action against racism and racial segregation.

I have to say Martin Luther King is an outstanding leader and orator. Before this letter I just read his speech I have a dream. As an outlier towards American society, I could not receive some essential information for the conflict of America racism. This letter discussed more specific information about how the black received the inequality treatment. In this letter, Martin said he could not stand the racism in Birmingham. When the mainstream only had racial segregation and worse racial policies, Martin thought he had to keep the active behaviors to deal with it. He disagreed with someone who supported negotiation way with government because he knew only negotiation could not get any advantages for changing of racism. In addition, he blamed

We are comfortable breaking the law when we feel it does not apply to us, that laws such as the speed limit are not real laws because everyone breaks them. In 399 BC, Socrates would have disagreed with this assertion, and died in part to keep this idea from spreading. Socrates was sentenced to death by an Athenian court, though the punishment did not fit the crimes he was accused of. We assume that any knowingly innocent person would have escaped this sentence if given the opportunity and support to do so, yet Socrates refused to and died soon after. Over 2,000 years later, Martin Luther King is also imprisoned on petty crimes and sees his actions in line with Socrates, as they were both unjustly jailed for questioning their societies. To

Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is Martin Luther King Jr. response to several white clergymen who previously criticized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference protest in Birmingham Alabama. He argues how segregation in South is morally unjust and has systemically oppressed African Americans for over 300 years. The only way to fight this ongoing injustice is to create tension in the community. The clergymen disapprove of this method and calls for him to be patience instead of being radical. He responds by saying that this level of tension is needed and takes the term extremist as a compliment. Martin Luther King Jr. says in this argument: “the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior in his piece, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” shows that good writers go beyond. King had to convince a group of white town leaders that what they fundamentally believed and stood for was immoral. Throughout the letter, King evokes his passion through rhetoric, tone, and real-life experiences. This passion was fueled by what King witnessed in Birmingham and other communities, as a result of racist leaders. His resulting style and structure of writing showed that he was invested in instigating change. Mainly, the late doctor’s letter pushes, without crossing boundaries, fundamental social change. King knew that his opinion was not popular, thus he had to know his audience well. By reading about the way in which Martin Luther King Junior wrote with passion, especially his use of imagery, we can learn to be more effective writers.