Birmingham Jail Case Study

On April 16, 1963, from a jail in Birmingham, Alabama, Martin Luther King Jr. composed an extensive letter to eight clergymen who condemned the timing of the civil rights movement. Although the letter was addressed to these eight clergymen, the Letter from Birmingham Jail speaks to a national audience, especially King’s “Christian and Jewish brothers”(King, 29). His peaceful but firm letter serves as a remarkably persuasive voice to an immensely chaotic mess, and is seen as a major turning point in the civil rights movement. King believes that without direct action, the full rights for African Americans could never be achieved. He defends the impatience of people in the civil rights movement, upholding that without forceful

“Our humanity makes us each a part of something greater than ourselves.” – Sonia Sotomayor. In society, humanity is only as good as our weakest link. If we, can unite as one, the possibilities for a more just society would be endless. To form a more just society for the common good, we must put our egos aside and start thinking about how we can use good morality to make the world a better place. I will argue that as humans, we can form a more just society for the common good, by examining the texts of Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Clarity in Truth and Declaration on the relation of the church to non-Christian religions.

In April 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. was imprisoned for his participation in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation. He was placed in jail for eleven days during which he composed the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” which was in response to an open letter that declared his efforts for racial justice as being “unwise and untimely.” In this letter, he defended the tactic of nonviolent resistance to racism. The letter also stressed that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws as well as to take immediate action preferably than to wait endlessly for the courts to bring about justice. King’s understanding of justice is best summed up when he states that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” In other words,

Members of my audience include: Mr. Brett Romine, Gavin Bowling, and Brian Reagan. Mr. Romine is forty-six years young. He is a highly educated man and has a Masters Degree in English. He is a white Caucasian man who speaks English. He enjoys and is interested in reading other people's writing. Gavin Bowling is a sixteen year old teenage,Caucasian male. He is working on his third year of achieving a high school education. He is interested in.... well... he is not a very open person. Finally, Brian Reagan is also a sixteen year old, White, Caucasian teenager. Like Gavin, he is working on his third year of achieving a high school education. He is interested in being a translator later in life for a career, but he is uncertain.

Aristotle is a very citable man when it comes to the way we think today. His rhetoric techniques are still being used in today's society. The Neo-Aristotelian Criticism is three different appeals of persuasion. This is ethos, pathos and logos, which makes one heck of a convincing argument. Ethos gives credibility, pathos shows emotion and logos uses words. In the text, Letter from Birmingham Jail, we find many examples of the criticism. Martin Luther King Jr. is writing a letter from inside the jail of Birmingham in April of 1963. This letter King wrote was in response to a letter he received from the religious leaders after King is making a stand against the racial issues in Alabama. These leaders

The issue with American’s jail problem is one that most people overlook today. In order for there to be a solution, people must realize the issue at hand. The best way would be to create better alternatives to jail time. Jail should be reserved for those who commit more violent and serious crimes. In order to be more productive and also contribute more to the environment, more community service hours and less jail time should be offered to those with less serious offenses

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

Prisons and jails hold some similar characteristics but are completely different models in which they serve in the criminal justice system. Some of the types of crimes that America faces today are: violent crimes, property, white collar or organized crime, and public order crimes (Worrall, 2008). The criminal justice system sets the regulations and policies of how an offender will be held accountable for their inappropriate actions. The criminal justice system is a process that takes time and money from society. The following information will briefly discuss the main purposes for the jail and prison systems, which will focus on the length of sentencing, funding sources, and private sector ownership. Let’s begin by explaining the length of

The concept of the prison has existed for more than two thousand years. It probably goes back as far in time as practice of cannibalism, where victims had to wait for their turn in contributing to the chief course in the menu of their captors. Examples of prisons can even be found in the Old Testament when Joseph was incarcerated in Egypt. It was not until the 19th century that a clear shift occurred from corporal punishment to imprisonment. As societies prospered and the industrial revolution began, the formal prison system, as we know it today, developed. Throughout most of the world, the correctional system is administered by the state, and it is considered a key function that the government must fulfill: protect its citizens by

prisons are different. The jail system is a short-term facility where inmates are confined until

Have you ever wonder why prisons are made? It is known that prisons are built to isolate and punish everyone that committed crime in their lives, whether it is in the past or present. However, lately there have been some arguments on whether everybody that committed crime should be put in jail or they should be allowed to stay outside of the prison, but with very strict supervisions. Nowadays, there have been some cases in which criminals are given the freedom to stay in their usual surroundings. The reason is people agree that criminals may have done something bad, but not all of them should be put in jail. There are other ways to punish those who did wrong aside from putting them in quarantine.

In today 's prison system of the United States, over 75% of the prisoners have the right to many luxuries while incarcerated instead of getting punished for the crimes committed. In fact, many inmates receive better health care than most people in the United States. Certainly, inmates have more luxuries than the citizens who work hard for them. With that in mind, inmates may consider jail better than the real world. No doubt inmates deserve treatment of an adult for the crimes they have committed. But also should get the punishment they deserve. In today 's world, inmates are not fully punished for the crimes committed.

Every civilization in history has had rules, and citizens who break them. To this day governments struggle to figure out the best way to deal with their criminals in ways that help both society and those that commit the crimes. Imprisonment has historically been the popular solution. However, there are many instances in which people are sent to prison that would be better served for community service, rehab, or some other form of punishment. Prison affects more than just the prisoner; the families, friends, employers, and communities of the incarcerated also pay a price. Prison as a punishment has its pros and cons; although it may be necessary for some, it can be harmful for those who would be better suited for alternative means

In prisons today, rehabilitation, deterrence, incapacitation, and retribution are all elements that provide a justice to society. Prisons effectively do their part in seeing that one if not more of these elements are met and successfully done. If it were not for these elements, than what would a prison be good for? It is highly debated upon whether or not these elements are done properly. It is a fact that these are and a fact that throughout the remainder of time these will be a successful part of prison life.

Prisons and jails are both referred to as incarcerations. A prison is where people get physically confined and lack personal freedom, and also those awaiting trails and those serving a term exceeding one year are confined here, while a jail is where inmates are housed prior to their trials on local level and those serving a term of one year or less. The society is protected from the offenders by them being confined in prisons, where their behaviors can be monitored, or they can be placed in community-based facilities which are secured and also offer an opportunity for the prisoners to acquire skills and knowledge through work related activities. The jail on the other hand serves the purpose of detaining law offenders of which they shall