...Engl. 1213-009 29 November 2010 Letter from Birmingham Jail In Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Dr. King expresses his grief for his fellow black people, after seeing and hearing about the injustice that was taking place in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. King is very explicit in the letter; he makes a very obvious argument on the immeasurable amount of injustice taking place. A reader experiences firsthand that it was about time for necessary action to take place, considering how long the black people had waited for equality through nonviolent protest. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was a response to eight clergymen’s letter called “A Call for Unity”. In the letter, Dr. King addresses his critics that believed his actions were “unwise and untimely” (King 204). To achieve his personal proposal, King uses ethos, pathos and logos to convey a sense of understanding a reason for equality and sympathy. The main point in Dr. King’s letter is that black people have patiently waited long enough for their God-given rights; “We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights” (King 207). And despite what anyone might have said, it time for change to take place. He starts his counterargument towards the clergymen, ministers and civil leaders of Birmingham adequately; he wrote “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...
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... was arrested and put in a Birmingham jail for demonstrating/protesting without a permit. During this time, he wrote a letter to eight dissatisfied white clergymen on behalf of a public statement of concern. In this lengthy, strong-handed letter, Dr. King did not argue; he did not get angry, but rather, he provided views of brotherhood and peace within his rebuttal. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” King uses a variety of rhetorical strategies in order to persuade and inform his audience of the benefits of equality. Dr. King was thrown in jail due to illegal protesting. During his time of being locked up, “[he] came across a recent statement calling their present activities ‘unwise and untimely”. (King 1) During the time that King was locked up, he had plenty of time to think and release his anger, but it wasn’t until later when he began to write a rebuttal of the recent criticisms made by the eight white clergymen. In the letter, King does not release any anger, nor does he argue with the clergymen’s response. In fact, he writes in a calm manner that sends a message of peace, as well as comfort. On the other hand though, he doesn’t simply ignore the fact of the utter ignorance of what was said. A main strategy that King uses is one that...
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... March 17th, 2014 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Question 6 on page 177 Have you ever thought about integrity? We all have at some point in our lives. The Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines integrity as “the quality of being honest or fair and the state of being complete or whole.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Stephen L. Carter spoke about this and defined it in their own ways. Stephen L. Carter wrote in “The Rules about the Rules” that “integrity requires 3 steps: (1) discerning what is right and what is wrong; (2) acting on what you have discerned, even at personal cost; and (3) saying openly that you are acting on your understanding of right from wrong.” During a major protest of unfair business practices in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. King was arrested and put into jail for his actions. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he gave evidence of Stephen L. Carter’s definition of integrity. “Discerning what is right and what is wrong.” In 1954, the Supreme Court came to the decision to outlaw segregation in public schools. Even though this was Federal Law, the community still chose to obey the city ordinances of segregation. Dr. King stated that for the African-American people there was “grossly unjust treatment in the courts, and there were more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than any other city in the nation.” Despite strong efforts made from the leaders in the African-American community, the city...
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...Summary of “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” In the featured article, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, an imprisoned Dr. Martin Luther King, on the date of April 16, 1963, composes a response to his fellow clergymen addressing their criticism of his activities and beliefs. He begins the note with an explanation for his presence in Birmingham. An associate had invited him with the request of initiating an immediate action, nonviolent plan, to fight the segregation, racial issues, and injustice found in Birmingham. The author suggests there are 4 steps to building a nonviolent campaign: verifying the existence of injustice by compiling evidence, negotiating with the power, self-purification to prepare for the event, and immediate measures to deal...
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...Reading 3 Martin Luther King Jr. - Letter from Birmingham City Jail: The letter from Birmingham jail was written by Martin Luther King Jr while he was in jail, speaking on the behalf of colored people and their fight for equality, and a call for unity regarding human injustices. King wrote this letter as a reaction to the allegations from the clergymen who had criticized his campaign. The clergymen wanted the fight for the issues by King to be done through the court system, not in the streets. In this letter, King responds to them in attempt to gain their support against racial discrimination, not only in the south, but nationwide. King wrote this letter in a way to gain trust and remorse from the clergymen, as he was Christian, and wanted to show them that under their shared religious belief, that racial discrimination was not acceptable in the eyes of God. This is his focus in his letter, to show equality and that his people’s efforts were not violent, but they still demanded justice and action to take place. King was determined to continue his fight for unity, even from the confinement of jail. He used his excellent vocabulary to his advantage when writing this letter, to show the clergymen that he was equal to them, if not smarter. He wanted to sound educated and to sound like he knew what he was talking about so that they would see who he really was, not the color of his skin. For example, he says “Beyond this, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just...
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...MLK Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis- w/ focus on Ethos “...we are now confronted by a series of demonstrations by some of our Negro citizens, directed and led in part by outsiders…” In this quote, from the third paragraph of the letter written by eight Alabama clergymen, the term outsiders is used. Early on, this creates a label for Martin Luther King, outsider. Throughout his Letter From Birmingham Jail, King is able appeal to ethos in order to refute his title of “outsider” and generate a connection with his audiences, the clergymen and the people of America. King is able to do such a thing by alluding to multiple passages from the Bible as well as the figures it contains, which is done so that he may identify with the clergymen. When not speaking in reference to the Bible, King makes allusions and references to specific points and people in American history, which allows him to connect to his larger audience, the people of America. By demonstrating his practical wisdom, through the use of allusion, King attempts to strengthen his character with a visible appeal to ethos. King alludes to the Bible multiple times throughout his Letter From Birmingham Jail. These allusions are notable in paragraph three, where king refers to the biblical figures “Jesus Christ” and “the Apostle Paul.” The context in which these two are used is to reiterate the story of Paul leaving Tarsus, which King also mentions, to spread the word of Christ. In paragraph...
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...Rhetorical Analysis of The Letter from Birmingham Jail Influential leader of the Civil Rights Movement and active agitator for justice, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. in his letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, argues passionately that injustice anywhere automatically creates the timely situation for organized retaliation in seeking freedom for the oppressed. King was arrested and placed in Birmingham Jail after a peaceful protest in downtown Birmingham. King was “the foremost civil rights leader in America in the 1950s and 1960s” (Kirszner and Mandell 799). “An ordained minister who held a doctorate in theology, King was the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference” (799). “King and his followers met opposition not only from white moderates but also from some African-American clergymen who thought King was a troublemaker.” King’s opposition labeled his demonstrations and acts against segregation as “untimely”, “unwise”, and...
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...Martin Luther King, Jr., in his famous Letter from the Birmingham Jail, responds forcefully yet politely to a public statement made by eight Alabama clergymen in 1963. He defends his position as an African American and strongly advocates racial equality, citing countless sources and employing several literary devices. Most significantly, King uses frequent allusions and vivid metaphors, to relate to his audience and convey his passion for equality. Martin Luther King Jr. uses allusions to biblical figures and events that appeal to both ethos and pathos throughout the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The ethos and pathos of biblical figures and events have a strong impact and effectiveness to the readers. Since King is a Christian he uses biblical...
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... King was making strides in the desegregation of the nation. He did this by traveling where he was needed and doing what he could, to help right any injustice. King was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama for parading without a permit. His thought was that there was no problem requiring a permit to parade, but when it is used to oppress the first amendment rights of peaceful assembly and protest, there is a problem with the application of the law (3). While he was in jail, King received a letter from white clergymen that he could...
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...Leadership is not merely a set of practice with no association with right or wrong. All leadership practice can be used for good or evil and thus have a moral dimension. Leaders choose whether to act form selfishness and greed to diminish others or to behave in ways that serve others and motivate people to expand their potential and as a human being. Moral leadership is about distinguishing right from wrong and doing right, seeking the just, the honest, the good and the right conduct to achieve goals and fulfilling purpose There are a select few individuals who have come variously to be called great or brilliant because they and their accomplishments have forever changed society and the world. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was on those individual. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968) would have been 83 on Jan. 15, 2012. Unfortunately his birthday has been turned into a three-day weekend by being recognized as a federal holiday observed on the third Monday of January each year. More than two decade since his death, Martin Luther King ideas, his call for racial equality, his faith in the ultimate triumph of justice and his insistence on the power of nonviolent struggle to bring about a major transformation of American society are as vital and timely as ever. Many seek leader that can provide assurance to their lives. Martin Luther King’s dreams beacon of hope to...
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...Logos in “Letter from Birmingham Jail” In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. states his argument against racial injustices and responds to accusations made by eight white clergy men against him and his fellow Negroes that their non-violent direct action protest was “unwise and untimely” (739). One of the ways that Dr. King responds is with the use of the rhetorical appeal, logos. He presents logical reasoning along with citing specific examples, facts, and evidence for his actions. The information he presents is truth and therefore convincing. In paragraph six, King points out that the actions of his organization were well-planned out and justified by listing the four basic steps that were taken leading...
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...The Letter from Birmingham Jail is addressed to the clergymen who criticized the actions of Dr. King during their protests in Birmingham. First he addresses that he was called an outsider who has come to Birmingham to cause trouble (170). He defends his character in a serious but modest tone by showing that his organization SCLC operates throughout the South to insure justice for all and that some of the members had invited the organization to Birmingham. However he then elaborates more on the moral reason for his presence saying that he came to Birmingham to battle “injustice.” Because he believes that “all communities and states” are interrelated, he feels compelled to work for justice anywhere that injustice is being practiced. Dr. King...
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...A Rogerian argument is a technique that solves conflicts. It is used to find the common ground between two contrasting factors rather than constructing debate. The Rogerian style of argument accentuates inducement for the respect of the opposing party rather than proving a point with confrontation. The “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is a letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. that defends the strategy of nonviolent protests to racism. He says that people have a moral duty to fight for their rights rather than wait for justice to find it’s way to them. This letter is an example of a Rogerian argument because Dr. King directs his argument towards his opposing factors, is nonconfrontational, and respects his conflicting views. The audience...
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...Letter from Birmingham Jail - by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With some discussion, please answer the following questions independently. Write in complete sentences, 1-2 paragraphs per answer. Answer completely and thoroughly. Put serious thought into your answers. 5 points per question. *Write a one paragraph summary of the letter. Include the following: -Reason why MKL was in jail. o -Reason for writing the letter. o -Intended audience of the letter. o -Main points o -Significance of letter for Civil Rights movement. Martin Luther King was imprisoned because he participated in a nonviolent demonstration against segregation. He purposely chose to be a part of this demonstration to bring attention and publicity to the city of Birmingham, the heart of discrimination. He wrote the letter to respond to the criticisms of eight white religious leaders in the south. He seldom responds to criticism, but he felt a strong motive to explain to these leaders his cause for doing what he is doing. He gives descriptions of his ideal just and unjust laws and gives several examples of why they are unjust. He also calls out the white moderate, saying that their lack of doing nothing is just as worse as the white radicals. Also he talks about how freedom is never willingly given up by the oppressor, and that something must be done to bring justice to these problems. This letter gave many whites a chance to see the demonstrations from his...
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...From 1963 to modern day, 2015, Martin Luther King serves as a monumental figure of justice, as he fought for the equality of men that defines our society today. His courageous actions sent him willingly to jail yet did not stop his ambition for equality. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, King uses rhetorical devices of ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade the Clergymen and the American public that the severity of unjust treatment of blacks has reached its breaking point, and justice must come now. As King write his piece from prison, he must establish himself credibility, proving himself worthy of the clergymen’s time and ears. Throughout the piece, King uses ethos to give himself credit on the topic of racial injustice. He begins...
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