...Ford’s Theater: Just or Unjust? Imagine enjoying a play on a regular evening with your family. Next thing you know, the person next to you is dead and chaos breaks out. Abraham Lincolin was assassinated mainly because of his actions and beliefs. Lincoln was well known as a fighter against slavery. He became the 16th president of the United States in 1860. He was also a military leader during the civil war and issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all slaves in the Confederate States (History.com). Abraham Lincoln's’ assassination was unjustified because he was an honest, role model to many,equal manbelieved in equality, and a was a revolutionary leader; however others many believed that thought he was a rebel too rebellious....
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...The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was unjust because Lincoln was an amazing leader and one of the renown presidents to date, he brought a nation together after a war, was incredibly articulate, as shown by the Gettysburg Address, and created the Emancipation Proclamation which led to the freedom of slaves. However, his assassin, John Wilkes Booth, killed him because he believed the Confederacy would commend him. Lincoln’s assassination happened in 1865 at Ford’s Theater after Booth failed to kidnap him prior to the Confederacy’s downfall. One of the most of atrocious assassinations had happened in the most ironic of areas. The original intention was to use captured Confederate leaders as a ransom for Lincoln but he did not show up where Booth had been ready to take him. The idea was to save the Confederacy by killing Lincoln, the Vice President, and the Secretary of State to gain the advantage over the Union. On the night of the murder, Booth snuck into Lincoln’s box. Booth was a famous actor which is why he was able to get into the box so easily. After he was shot, Lincoln was said to be, “slumped in his chair, paralyzed, and struggling to breathe” (http://www.history.com/topics/abraham-lincoln-assassination)....
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...To further demonstrate the need for change, King uses logos to provide logical explanation as to why these laws are unjust. He first begins by describing the very cause of unjust treatment; the segregation laws. He does this by using the words of St. Thomas Aquinas; a man whose words the clergymen believe in, to say that “any law that degrades human personality is unjust”. This is exactly what these laws do. He proves this by stating “segregation distorts the soul and damages personality”. Leaving the clergymen no choice but to realize that the laws are wrong thus urging his point that change must come now. The clergymen argue that “negotiation is a better path”, although King addresses that this point is valid, he reminds them that...
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...Abraham Lincoln Responses to Moderator’s Questions “What is your opinion regarding the Compromise of 1850?” “Well, I feel that the Compromise was an excellent decision for Mr. Clay to make. Not only did it resolve many issues that had come to divide the North and the South, but it was also beneficial for both.” “Do you feel the Compromise of 1850 was beneficial?” “Yes, both the North and the South benefited from it. The North gained California as a free state, the South gained no slave restrictions in both Utah and New Mexico territories, such was to be decided by popular sovereignty. Slave trade was prohibited in Washington D.C. but slaveholding in the area was allowed. Texas loses the boundary dispute with New Mexico but gains 10 million dollars. All in all, the Compromise was fair and giving to everyone in the Union.” “What are your feelings on Popular Sovereignty and the consequences that have resulted from it, such as Bleeding Kansas?” “Popular Sovereignty may have been created for the people and by the people, but it does not help the people. It unconstitutional and has sparked many violent and chaotic results that have only helped to divide our nation further. Bleeding Kansas is perhaps the most obvious of these violent consequences. Not only did Bleeding Kansas present that our nation had divided into two, a North and South, it provoked the two sides into a state of war. With good hearted men from the same House fighting against each other over something as a little...
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... it’s the main shopping period of the year. They wanted to bring pressure to put on the merchants that there should be changes made. 3. He insist on direct action in Birmingham because it dramatizes the issue and rings tension to the community to make a situation so that their only choice is to negotiate 4. It’s impossible for blacks to continue to “wait” because they have been waiting for more than 340 years for change, and not a lot has changed. Waiting for them means that there’s little chance for anything to ever happen. 5. Personal examples the King included was about his daughter asking questions about why things are the way they are for black people. 6. A just law is a manmade code that squares with the moral law or law of God. An unjust law is a human law that is out of harmony with moral laws. It’s important because it gives segregators false superiority 7. A law is unjust if it degrades a human’s personality 8. King says that everything Hitler did was “legal” because helping out Jews was considered “illegal” 9. King is disappointed in the white moderate because they are more devoted to order than justice. They would rather have peace, than helping blacks to the path of freedom. 10. People should not condemn direct action for leading to violence because they only brought up the tension that’s been building up. They only wanted to protect the people who were victims 11. The danger of black nationalism because they would start to lose faith in America just like the people in Elija Muhammad’s...
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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 writes 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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...John Nix Kevin Thomas Harrel His 105 Section 28 8 December 2009 The Formation of the Confederacy: An Inevitable Occurrence When looking at the history of the United States it is necessary to look at our past in two separate halves: the first half being everything before the Civil War and the second half being everything after the Civil War. With this being said, it can be reasonably argued that the Civil War is one of the most critical events to every happen in our country’s rich history. The devastating war took over half a million American lives in just a little over four years. This tragic event in history, up until Vietnam, claimed more American lives than any other war (Rubin 11). In hindsight it is clear that this war should have been avoided at all cost but during the late 1800’s the tension was so high and hostile that the war was inevitable. Sectionalism had increased so much during that period that even citizens thought of their country divided into two halves, being the North and the South. Each section considered themselves as right and proper while the other as ridiculous and wrong. These tensions kept building until the thought of secession became not a question of if but rather a question of when. According to Cole C. Kingseed, author of The American Civil War, the seeds of the Civil War can be planted as early as the Constitutional Convention of 1787. By the time of the convention five states had already abolished slavery, which made the southern states...
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...Knew that he would face scrutiny for condoning this type of behavior and direct action. Moreover King knew that the clergymen along with other critiques would possible ask him why he allowed his followers to break the law. Which Stated that Negros where prohibited from entering places for whites only. Dr. King responded: “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?” You ask “The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust” (165). Martin Luther King’s use of Ethos here allows the clergy men and his audience later to comprehend that. Jim Crow Laws where unjust and that the only way he and his people could combat these laws; was through direct...
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...to create logical reasoning that is supported by sources and give his claims more credibility. He supports his logical reasoning that he is allowed to break some laws because laws are unjust and just. He uses the definition of unjust and just laws by Christian philosophers. Therefore he can break the unjust laws because they are laws that are “out of harmony with the moral law (or the law of God as mentioned in the previous sentence).” He, also, refutes the logic used in “A Call for Unity”. They say that because the action of peaceful protest precipitates violence it should be condemned. He asks, “Isn’t this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery?” He is appealing to the logical reasoning of the reader and also rejecting the logical appeals of his...
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...Kyle McCrite Ms. Vaughn English 102-01 14 September 2009 Someone Else’s Shoes Martin Luther King’s (MLK) “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” was written in 1963 as a response to the Eight Alabama Clergymen’s public statement against King’s actions in April of that year. Martin Luther King Jr. was an activist for desegregation of the south in the early 1960s and overcame much adversity to attain incredible gains on the segregation issue in the United States. King uses effective persuasive appeals of logical evidence, emotional appeal, and author credibility to win over his audience in “The Letter from Birmingham Jail.” MLK’s writing shows the effects of segregation in Birmingham with clear direct language and heart wrenching examples. Imagine being put in his position. If your family and friends were being treated cruelly and unjustly would you not help them in any way possible, especially if included in the mistreated group? After reading MLK’s letter, maybe you would see things in a different way with his convincing examples of logical and emotional appeal. Martin Luther King proves his credibility by several factors. The first way King proves he is a credible author is the fact that he is in the Birmingham jail. He is arrested while protesting in the city. The reader can believe that MLK is writing about something that he is well versed in because he shows that he has experienced it firsthand. Another way that Martin Luther King shows he’s plausible is by stating “I have...
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...Racism has been around in our nation since the start of it. It has plagued our nation harshly. Since the 1700s when our forefathers have founded our nation in the form of slavery. It all was supposed to get better when Abraham Lincoln emancipated the slaves in the 1860s. In which it did. The African Americans were no longer slaves to the Caucasians. However, they faced a new challenge in the form of segregation. Segregation is defined in the dictionary as the enforced separation of different racial groups in a country, community, or establishment. Segregation was horrible in America after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. JIm Crow laws were made halting the expansion of the African American influence on America. There were laws that...
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...Tragedy and The Human Conditions Essay: Abusive Power “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. ” In a statement by Abraham Lincoln it is identified that the greatness of man is tested by how he utilizes his power. As demonstrated in William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, and The Time Magazine article Adolf Hitler, one can see how the abuse of power creates chaos in society. By analyzing the actions of the characters Macbeth, Abigail Williams, and the character Adolf Hitler, it is evident how the misuse of power will lead to the loss of structure in society. “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” A statement by Lord Acton which illustrates that those who gain power ultimately become corrupted by it - thus leading one to abuse their power. This statement is well demonstrated in the actions of the character Macbeth, from William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, in his rise to power from Thane of Glamis to the King of Scotland. Within the first scene of the play, Macbeth is given the gift of knowledge of the future, by the three witches, which he ultimately uses to gain more power. “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Glamis ... All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” (I.iii. 48-50). When given this prophecy from the three witches, Macbeth utilizes this information, once he becomes Thane of Cawdor, to plan the death of King Duncan. The power of knowledge is...
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...In April 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for protesting discrimination in Birmingham, Alabama. During his time in jail, he wrote what became to be known as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” King wrote this letter to explain his actions to the other clergymen who disagreed with his protests and actions. This was very effective in getting more blacks, and even some whites, to join King’s group of peaceful protesters. It was effective because he appealed to the emotions of the reader, and he used vivid analogies to make the content of the letter easier to understand. The writing of this letter was a vital point in the Civil Rights Movement. After the letter was written, many people joined the Movement. Without this letter, the Civil Rights Movement may not have been the success it was. At the time this letter was written, the Civil Rights Movement was beginning to gain momentum. King had become the face of the fight against discrimination. People in the movement knew that they needed to start having bigger protests to gain statewide and national attention. So in April of 1963, King started doing lunch counter sit-ins, and later they marched on Birmingham City Hall. After the march on City Hall, King and many of the other protesters were arrested and put in jail. This is where King would write his letter. He wrote the letter in response to other articles in the paper saying that the protests were unwise and untimely. There was a statement in a newspaper which was written...
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...“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. First and foremost, King establishes his credibility to spark off his strong defense. Introducing himself as “The President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. … [with] eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights” (“Letter from Birmingham Jail” 2). This credential not only puts King into a position of power but also proves that he has seen enough of the south and the problems within it to create a strong argument against his opposition. Another point that establishes this is on page seven of “Letter From Birmingham Jail” where King states that he’s traveled through the “length and...
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...admired. King begins his letter in a polite address to accusations delivered to him, "But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will..." He takes politeness to a degree that it becomes an art form. Not once does he use an offense word or phrase that would offend the audience of his letter. King's logic is also to be commended. The Letter began with King's reasons of being in Birmingham and he explains it in a way that you feel like you should agree with him. The different types of rhetoric that King uses are perfect for the intended purpose. His play on pathos, or our emotions, is so that you really have to pay attention to discover it. The best example of his play on pathos is when he describes an even with his son, "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?" It is not the point that the son was asking about racial mistreatment but that it was a child asking his father. When you imagine an innocent child asking you a question about fairness your heart opens up because children, on many occasions, can cause a person to lower their guard. With your guard lowered, you emotions can be affected. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere....
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