Essay about King's Argument in A Letter from Birmingham Jail

The largest challenge Dr. King faced in writing his response was that his audience did not respect him. As a result of the laws he devoted himself to protest, Dr. King was a second class citizen. To the white clergymen he was addressing he was both socially and legally inferior. The feeling of supremacy that the clergymen, and many other whites, had toward blacks at the time made them largely unsympathetic to their plight. To avoid appearing pitiful or even pathetic he maintains a calm and authoritative tone. Even though the clergymen were harshly critical of his activities and methods King responds in a collected manner “I feel that […] your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer

In the beginning, King responds to the criticism he received concerning his present activities as “unwise and untimely.” King then explains that he is in Birmingham because the presence of social injustice, and the purpose of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights is “to be on call to engage

taking a genuine interest in helping the people of Birmingham. Later on in King’s letter, he further explained

At initial look, it may perhaps seemed weird to put pride with a condition so occupied with misery and inequality, but this is exactly so why I act in response this way. Would any person have held responsible Dr. King for being annoyed with his state of affairs? I don’t think so. King made reasoning select to stay hopeful, to give a lecture to individuals who examined his reasons with admiration. In actual fact, he outlines the restrictions for how he will answer back to his opponents in the introductory section of his letter: “I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms,” (par 1). This quote proves King’s vow to handling others with respect. Even as he finds an obvious opening in their dispute, he upholds this spot, “You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But, your statement I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations,” (par 5). I find it moving that while Dr. King is rebutting the assaults against him by these men, he is polite. This is a limitless right I can put on in my own natural life. A wave on our reasons or ideas need not be answer back in rage or resentment. King shows purpose and kindheartedness are a far-off more effective

These people would rather stay at a comfortable, albeit unjust, state than fight for fairness. He connects this point to another, that we should not stop trying to gain our rights if we might cause violence in doing so. Together with other supporting points, like how some African-Americans are also inactive, these points urge people to take action. He moves into a section about the criticism about him being an “extremist”. King says that extremists might actually be needed and compares to historical figures, like Jesus, who might have been considered extremists. This part appeals to religious folk who admire figures such as Jesus and might be swayed to take action. King wraps up with a criticism of the church, specifically the white church, who had not taken action in favor of the Civil Rights movement. This section could also have stood to be shorter, as his major points, how the church has gone from forging new paths to following those already forged and how there are some exceptions in people that have been prosecuted for their choice to help the blacks, could be given equally as effectively in much fewer words. Much of King’s piece was wordier than necessary and would have been more engaging for the general

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.

Throughout Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” He expresses much passion. King not only used this letter in response to the several clergymen, but he has a bigger audience in mind as he goes along. In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. uses persuasive techniques to respond to the negative letter he received. King uses not just one persuasive techniques in different parts of his letter to better get his point across, which allows the letter to better relate to all who read it. By clearly stating the problem, and going over how it can be resolved in a just, fair manner, King go against the clergymen’s letter with a clear and persuasive mind set.

In the letter “Letter from Birmingham Jail” King wrote to the clergymen as to why non-violent direct actions are superior by arguing on how he and the clergymen are alike in terms of their goal to make a better Birmingham and occupation as a clergyman, describing the white moderate and how they are considered to be worst offenders of continuing racial discrimination, and listing several descriptive scenarios of African Americans brutally and morally wounded by racial discrimination to explain that the African American community can no longer wait for change to occur in court; they must take immediate action if they desire racial freedom. If they do nothing, the African American society would fall into obscurity, never being equal to the white

King’s methods of peaceful protest regarding the white moderate I found to be impressive. Dr. King knew a change in society was inevitable. He knew the African American had been pushed to their limits; they had been stretched too thin. He knew he could use his gift and channel all those centuries of emotions in a positive way to make a change, if not, change would come in another form, a form of violence. Dr. King states “The Negro has many pent-up resentments and latent frustrations. He has to get them out. So let him march sometime; let him have his prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; understand why he must have sit-ins and freedom rides. If his repressed emotions do not come out in these nonviolent ways, they will come out in ominous expressions of violence” ( King). Yet, the white moderate would say , "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direct action" or for them to wait for a more convenient season. I would be bewildered if ever placed in a situation like this. On one hand, you are told you are right, you and your people need equality and we are going to support you. On the other hand, they are telling you not to take action, it is not a good time, to wait until later. The white moderate, coming from the un-oppressed side, has no sense of urgency in the matter. From the outside looking in, I am trying to see what may have driven them to act in such a fashion. Perhaps they attempted to maintain a relative peace as they

In this letter Martin Luther King responds to the criticism he received from several Clergymen which basically articulated that Mr. King should withhold from any further acts of demonstration for the Negro community. Mr. King goes on to explain how although the clergymen feel his actions were “unwise and untimely”, he has taken the proper steps in trying to provide peace among the Negro and white communities. However, he states how the empty promises and absence of change that the Negro community was assured would never actually ensue, leading to Martin Luther King pursuing further and more extreme actions.

4. King has been disappointed by white moderates, because “Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Councilor or the Ku Lux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than justice; who prefers negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice.” (King) The white moderate are the ones enforcing these laws that favor white people, being the ones making it hard to fit in a change. All Martin Luther King wants from the white moderate is for them to help establish justice in America. As for the church, he demands that they join hand in hand with the movement. Instead, “some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leaders; all too many have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent.” (King)

Even though King hopes that the black community will fight oppression peacefully, he knows that without his efforts many angered individuals would be utilizing violent forms of protest. With the help of the black society’s church, King was able to lead the movement in a nonviolent way, which he believes not only benefited the blacks but the whites as well. “If this philosophy had not emerged, by now many streets of the South would, I am convinced, be flowing with blood(7). King continues his letter by saying that if he had not stepped in and instituted the idea of a peaceful protest that the blacks would’ve taken matters into their own hands, causing mass violence. As the letter continues King states, “if they refuse to support our nonviolent

Then Martin Luther King changes direction and begins to discuss his disappointment in the white moderate and the church. The clergymen claim that the time will come for equality at a “convenient season,” and that King is promoting tension between the community. King disputes their claim by asserting that the tension was always there and it is white moderate that is hindering freedom, on the belief that order is more important than justice. He alludes to Hitler’s Nazi Germany, recalling “…everything Hitler did in Germany was “legal” and every-thing the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was “illegal.” It was “illegal” to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany” (King, 7). By alluding to a horrendous time in history, he creates an

He explains that there are others who have cultivated this deeply- rooted, entrenched feeling of disgust for the white men that they have completely renounced of their peaceful movements and the non-violent ideas stemming from Christianity. These men are so pent-up with anger that they have renounced to the beliefs in their religion. King explains and that he has cautioned against these and is relentless to participate in the brutality of the movement but; however, he comprehends the frustration that’s deep-seated in these men, who have waited hundreds of years to be granted their God-given rights and till now have received nothing.

     King( then tried to) explained that even though the white moderates, though good intentioned, donÕt understand the situation in full. Moreover, to not understand the importance of the issue, then results in a lack of involvement. King felt that with the white moderates involvement was crucial to any steps forward, yet their lack of involvement would only make thier pursuit for civil liberties even more difficult. He makes a powerful argument, ÒIt is a historical fact that privileged groups sedom give up thier privileges voluntarily.Ó The significane of this quote is the theme of this letter. King (is- was) saying that African American can no longer remain idle in the hopes to been seen as equals with the whites, they must