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In Letter From Birmingham Jail, the part I find most persuasive is when Dr. King tells why African-Americans can no longer wait to gain the justice and equality they deserve, and there is not a “right time” to try to gain this justice and equality. It is true that African-Americans cannot not just wait and hope that one day they will gain the equality they deserve. Instead, they must act to gain justice and equality. When people are comfortable, change is unlikely to occur. If African-Americans did not create any tension, they may have never gained the equality they have today.
" This means that even if there is a shred of injustice somewhere in America, it is a threat to all the justice everywhere
Confront Injustice Martin Luther King Jr. was an ordained minister and one of the best known civil rights leaders. He worked very hard to end segregation and injustices in the south. While participating in a program of sit-ins at luncheon counters, the famous theologist was arrested. In consequence King wrote, “a Letter from Birmingham Jail,” which he addressed to a group of white clergymen in an attempt to demonstrate the justices of his views. Within the letter King describes an unjust law as, “a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself” (259).
If, injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere, then it follows that a man interested in justice must stop it, not just for his community, but for the good of all
Letter from Birmingham Jail Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has long been the symbol of racial equality, much impart from the message in this letter. In this letter Dr. King illustrates the methods he became famous for using and the reasons for these methods. He also addressed the concerns about his timing and methods. Dr. King described the process he and his fellow advocates took in addressing the racial injustices as beginning with first defining the injustice and having indisputable evidence of its existence. The next step was confronting law makers and officials about the changes that needed to be made to eradicate the injustice.
Doctor Martin Luther King Junior uses the motif injustice along with the motif time, to develop and further his purpose to get equality between the "African American Race" and "White Race". Doctor Martin Luther King Junior says in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” that “The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse and buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.
Martin Luther King Jr. provides much factual evidence in his letter, “There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation” (King). Through this factual statement, the audience can feel justified in supporting King’s argument because they know his argument is truthful. Hearing that Birmingham is more violent towards blacks than any other city in the nation, his audience might feel guilty or saddened to be a part of such a community. King is forcing the community to see the truth of their wrongdoings and encourage them to make a change and support his movement towards equality for all members of society.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, uses the lense of social power in order to get his thoughts across. Social power is the degree of influence that an individual or organization has among their peers and within their society as a whole. This idea is illustrated throughout his letter to show the significance of the disabilities and unfair treatment the black community has faced for the entirety of their existence. African americans have never been able to gain the respect from others they deserve due to the idea that other races have more power on them simply due to the color of their skin. Martin Luther King is able to express these ideas by referencing multiple examples as to how social power has negatively affected their societal presence for many years.
In his letter from Birmingham city jail, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uses aphorism to directly express the necessity of nonviolent resistance in order to encourage moral means to achieve the moral end of racial justice. King first quotes T.S. Eliot in noting that, “…there is no greater treason than to do the right deed for the wrong reason….” Here, King is criticizing the disciplined and nonviolent handling of public demonstrators as a moral means to preserve the immoral end of racial segregation. He argues that the police force deserves no commendation in maintaining “order” and “preventing violence” as such efforts are only done to fortify racial injustice in face of resistance. King declares that, “…nonviolence demands that the means we use
MLK speaks on how the courts are unfair for blacks and very unjust, this is wrong and not equal. “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly”. Doctor King expresses thats
Dr. King’s letter is filled with powerful statements and information to assist people in understanding the injustice and discrimination impacting blacks in Alabama and in other states. Although many northerners believed that the racism in the south was not important to them, Dr. King emphasized, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere” (King). Dr. King urged northerners not to stand silent and instead understand that what was going on in the south easily could spread to the north. Dr. King’s letter also addressed whether all laws must be followed. King stated, “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God.
Dr. King uses many examples of the kinds of problems that African-Americans face every day in Birmingham. One of the reasons that this part of the letter is so effective is because of the degree of specificity that Dr. King uses in his examples of the injustices they face. He reminded them of Warren’s own words on the need for desegregation, “Justice too long delayed is justice denied.” He explains that if you put off justice for a long time, you might forget about it, or you might feel less enthused by action and less strong than you felt before about taking action. Dr. King responds to the disapproval of the timing of public by referring the broader scope of history and declaring that African Americans had waited for these God-given and constitutional rights long enough.
In paragraph twelve King says, “But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity…”, it is hard to imagine witnessing such brutality and the lack of justice that followed for African-Americans and their families (12). Birmingham, Alabama, reputed for its high rate of police brutality against African-Americans and as being one of the most segregated cities in the country (5). Because of the latter, African-Americans felt the need for direct action and started peacefully demonstrating; their peaceful demonstrations met opposition in the form of police and angry dogs (43). Dr. King himself was a victim of violence at the hands of police and guards at the jail.
In the eyes of Martin Luther King Jr., Justice within a society is achieved through the implementation of just laws. Furthermore, “just laws are regulations that have been created by man that follow the laws of God for man” (“Clergymen’s Letter”). Any law that does not correspond with the ideals of God and morality are considered to be unjust or a form of injustice. King identifies that injustice is clearly evident within the justice system. This injustice can truly be seen through the misconduct imposed toward the African American community.
The quote "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. expresses the idea that any instance of injustice, no matter where it occurs, poses a threat to the overall concept of justice in society as a whole. This quote highlights the interconnectedness of justice and injustice, and how they affect not only individuals but also the society as a whole. It suggests that when one group of people is being treated unjustly, it threatens the rights and freedoms of all people and undermines the principles of fairness and equality. One example of an injustice in our society is discrimination against a certain racial or ethnic group. This can take many forms, from overt acts of racism and hate crimes, to more subtle
