Letter From Birmingham Jail: An Analysis

In arguing, writers use different techniques to effectively convey their message to their intended audience. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was a response to "A Call for Unity" by eight white clergymen in which King’s presence in Birmingham and his methods of public demonstration were questioned. King’s letter was not only a response to his presence in Birmingham, but he also used the opportunity to address the unjust proposals by the clergymen that Negroes wait for the legal system to abolish segregation and unjust laws. King uses rhetorical modes of persuasion such as ethos, pathos and logos to meticulously address and discredit the claims made by the

The 1960’s was a sad time when segregation existed. Although the colored people were technically free, were they really free? This time in history was filled with colored people being disgraced, threatened, held in captivity, and “vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sister” (King). Children ripped apart from their families, not being able to socialize with certain people, or even go to the local amusement park. It was a hard time to be a colored person, and there was one hope. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed that one day blacks and whites could one day come together peacefully. King tried to do what he believed was right with everything in his will to finally join forces and not be talked down on by whites. In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” he includes several events that affect not only him but thousands of others emotionally, he uses creative examples to get his points across, and lastly King includes multiple past and present historical facts.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a key figure in the civil rights movements that took place in the 1950s and 1960s. The “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is an open letter written by King defending nonviolent resistance against racism. The letter argued that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust and unethical laws. The letter also stresses themes of unity among brothers in order to overcome racism. I will argue in support of King’s stance that citizens are morally justified in breaking unjust laws and that openly and responsibly opposing unjust laws is itself a duty of every citizen.

After reading the Letter from Birmingham Jail and knowing that Dr. King represents himself in non violent fashion. Today's perspective of black power is very different from back then. I believe what our people went through has molded us into voice tress African Americans meaning that we will stand for something or don't stand for nothing at all. I definitely see conflicting notions in today's society because their is still undercover prejudice going on although these are some issues we have fought for in the past. Also, there are some that condone violence and prejudice against another reach based on stereotypes. It is easier for people to go off stereotypes than to get to know a person individually. There are many issues that has come

The primary goal of a sermon in church is to convince or persuade the congregation to turn to God and follow his ways and beliefs. A sermon is commonly broken up into several subsections beginning with “(1) an introduction ‘to establish a common ground of religious feeling’; (2) ‘a statement of the text’ which is often drawn directly from the Bible; (3) the ‘body of the sermon,’ which consists of repeated emotional climaxes; and (4) the ‘conclusion’ which resolves the emotional tension aroused by the sermon by drawing the sinners to God.” (Pipes 143). Based on these characteristics and King’s religious background and experience as a preacher, it is logical to argue that the structure of “A Letter from the Birmingham Jail” resembles that of a sermon which is aimed at an audience much larger than that of just eight clergymen. Through his brilliant use of persuasive methods and emotional appeal, Martin Luther King turns a simple response to a letter into a national cause for white support to combat segregation.

Civil disobedience can negatively affect a free society under false pretenses because it can affect the way someone believes something is right or wrong due to the information that is given ot that is stirred up on social media. Another way it impacts society is because there are aggressive protestors that become dangerous. Protesters aren’t the only ones being disruptive, police officers also participate in the disruptive actions. There were also some aggressors that didn’t want to accept their consequences, but their actions differed from what they wanted. In the twentieth century people believe that violence can be the answer to a situation, but it can actually cause a division in our society. This division will build rage that will affect the nation more severely in the

“A Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. was written in the margins of a letter posted by the clergymen of Alabama at this time that sparked his interest and while he inhabited the jail cell for parading around without a permit. This time allowed him the ability to respond wholeheartedly to this cynical oppressing. King’s letter addresses specific points presented in the Clergymen’s and this direct response distinguishes King’s strong points through his powerful writing.  Unethical and immoral mentions came to the attention of the Minister through the letter, and he expressed his differing views and defended his ideals and actions through Aristotle’s three rhetorical devices, ethos, logos, and pathos.

To this day there are people fighting for the rights of people of colour in groups such as Black Lives Matter and for the rights people in the LGBT+ community. Some people who are advocates for these things can and do use civil disobedience as a way to raise awareness and protest. Acts of civil disobedience can attract much more attention than a regular protest, which can help shed light on these important issues. Misogyny, racism, xenophobia and homophobia are all still very real issues in today's society, and civil disobedience (if used properly) can be as powerful of a weapon now as it was fifty years ago to fight for the equality of all

My mind begins to think crazy. Heart beats fast as if I was running. I started to wonder is this really what life is about ? Will people stand up for what's right? When I read Martin Luther Kings, Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” , I started to realize you have to stand up for what you believe is right. King was standing up for what's right and for justice and was put in jail for it. He stated that “ I came across your recent statement calling my present activity “unwise and untimely”,” (King, 2017, p. 411). King (2017) responded “Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas” (p. 411). The clergymen did not feel that King was supposed to be in this town saying that “ However, we are now confronted by a series of demonstrations by some of our Negro citizens, directed and led in part by outsiders” (Alabama, 1963). King was a clergyman himself, he didn’t think that he was wrong and he felt like it need to be done. King stated he was in Birmingham because “ injustice was here” (King, 2017, p. 412). Many people don’t believe that justice should be served. Totally opposite to Martin Luther King’s Jr. leadership, President Trump is not a leader of equality nor non - violence.

Not only were many laws changed and created, but even more were broken in an attempt to better our once unjust society. Martin Luther King Jr., arguably the most influential leader of this movement, was an avid supporter of civil disobedience during this era. He participated in countless sit-ins and protests, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956, in which he and almost one hundred other activists were arrested for peacefully protesting discrimination in the Montgomery public transit system. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, written in 1963 after he was arrested for partaking in a nonviolent protest, King offers explanation as to why he practices civil disobedience and what he hopes to achieve in doing so. In this letter, King admits, “In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law…that would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty”. However, he also stated that in this fight, it is necessary to “[stand] up for what is best in the American…thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence”. In his words, civil disobedience is more than ignorance of law; it is just one of the necessary measures that must be taken to restore equality in a

A movement, a spark, a flicker of a flame that sets a dignified course into motion. A chant, a cry, a yell for the greater good--a time when “the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair” (King, 1963), a time when “an unjust law is no law at all” (St. Augustine), a time when “constructive, nonviolent tension is necessary for growth” (King, 1963)--It is at these times, that civil disobedience is paramount. Peaceful resistance to laws, in these clouded times of injustice, is imperative to positively impacting free society.

The immense raw emotion of protesters grasping the nation’s attention is sensational in the sense of the people’s spoken word of how the government interprets their way of living. The fact that the people of the nation are allowed to have freedom of speech is phenomenal. Civil disobedience has already had an impact on the 21st century in the first two decades with the Ferguson riots to the riots across the nation for the 45th president's election to office. During all these riots of civil disobedience, none truly got to the point of their purpose to the public. These examples provide that civil disobedience has a negative impact on society due to lack of respect to the public's eye on the issue, peaceful protests can turn violent, and property damage for cities to handle afterward.

It is because of civil disobedience that the United States of America has the social reforms that we all take for granted today. These include women’s suffrage, abolition of slavery, and even the independence of the United states of America. People should protest against government violation for their unalienable rights endowed by their creator which are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of

By devising a way to get the voice of the people heard without armed rebellion the fundamental tool of making sure the peoples' voice was heard had changed. As the idea of these protests took hold and became increasingly popular they began to be met with resistance. Groups seeking to undermine protests often took to violent actions themselves against these movements in order to illicit a response. When the protesters resist the acts of violence it shows how serious the group is about affecting change in a meaningful and peaceful manner. No movement is more famous for its resistance than Martin Luther King Jr.'s marches. Even with his house bombed and threats to his life Martin Luther King Jr. refused to resort to violence, instead choosing to remain peaceful and compassionate to even those who enacted violent actions against him (kingencyclopedia). It is because of his unshakeable use of peaceful resistance that the civil rights movement was so successful. These violent free protests became a revolutionary new way to enact change in the

On the other hand, there are people there that are looting and using the protests as an excuse to commit crimes without getting caught. “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action” (King, Martin Luther Jr). If the steps that Martin Luther King Jr. stated in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” are followed, it is much more likely that people will listen to the ideas being expressed than if violence is used. King knew that violence was not the way to gain attention. He had a vision of coming to a solution together peacefully. King was a very wise man and protestors now days should learn from him. These are just some of the reasons that peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts free society. Without the ability to peacefully resist the laws, it would not be considered a free society. A free society is that in which citizens can express their concerns and fears, which is what occurs during peaceful resistance. There are many more reasons as to why peaceful resistance is a positive impact, but these are just a