Dr King Letter From Birmingham Jail

1. King addresses “The Clergyman” in his response letter from a Birmingham jail in attempts to refute and further explain his position and reason for his actions. In response to their claims that his methods we “unwise and untimely” (King 800) he begins with a layout of why he feels that this letter and distinction is important and why he has come to Birmingham. It is in no uncertain terms a brief history of why and how he became involved in the activities if Birmingham. King argues, “Injustice everywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” (King 800) laying the ground work and rationale for his involvement and actions. This letter is specifically written to The Clergyman, however, Dr. Kings’s purpose for this letter was to inform all

King impresses his readers with his historical knowledge in terms of the origin of laws to point out whether they are coined just or unjust. Quotes from St Augustine, “an unjust law is not law at all” and Thomas Aquinas, “an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law”(King 804) clearly define the premise of God given rights. King relates to his readers by stating that segregation is against the natural law or in other terms the human rights given by our creator. He then goes on to provide more present examples of immoral rights being sequestered by those who do not have the authority to do so. The concrete example of the Supreme Courts decision to outlaw segregation in 1954 yet holding Dr. King in jail for not having a permit to parade in public adequately calls into question his statement, “how can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others.” (King 803) Who legitimizes the laws that are to be obeyed and the ones that are to be broken? How is it rational for a majority to take away rights that we as human beings are all born with? For those who do not believe on God-given rights Dr. King provides an even more rational and logical approach, “but such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First-Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.”(King 804) This quote points out clearly that moral injustice exists when a majority that does not include the well being of minority citizens foregoes laws put in place for equality and restates laws that protect on the