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Is Martin Luther King Jr Used In Letter From Birmingham Jail

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“We are absorbed in an inescapable network of mutuality, combining a single apparel of destiny”.Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and enthusiast who was an individual of the most prominent rulers in the civil rights campaign from 1955 until his slaying in 1968. Dr. King printed a letter to a group of clergymen illustrating his position for peaceable direct action in the text Dr. Ruler uses three rhetorical appeals to convince the ministers that his conduct was appropriate. Dr. King uses pathos initially of his report saying “while confined in this place in the Birmingham city Jail” his hard luck story was shown here proverb “confined” show that he feels trapped. Another example Dr. Ruler states “But since I feel you are men of real goodwill what your criticisms sincerely describe”. Dr. King apparently shows emotion in the letter even declaring to the clergymen he feels they are honest. …show more content…

Ethos were seen in the memorandum when “Just as Socrates sensed.” King is trying to reveal that he, and his organization, are not the only one that “see the need for peaceful gadflies to create the kind of strain in society that will help brothers rise from the dark depths. Exposing this pulls out the philosophy showing by virtue of what he is trying to make the ministers appeal to welcome the idea of nonviolent gadflies. Another set of philosophy in the letter is “In deep letdown I have wept over the laxity of pope's jurisdiction”. King shows true sentiment in this appearance; he is truly disappointed in the church's jurisdiction which shows the valid injustice in Birmingham

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a civil rights leader who advocated for nonviolent confrontation of segregation, wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” as a response to the clergymen who interrogated his techniques of protest in “Public Statement by Eight Alabama Clergymen”. The eight Alabama clergymen, who wanted to humiliate King in his efforts to peacefully demonstrate against discrimination, describe their concerns and cautions for the demonstrations controlled by an outsider, King, in the city of Birmingham. Although the clergymen state that they support King’s ultimate aims, they cannot accept the imprudent demonstrations. King, hoping to publicize and persuade the public to take action against segregation, cunningly refutes the clergymen’s concerns with the use of rhetorical strategies and devices to support his argument.

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1519 Words | 7 Pages

Now the exigence of King's Letter is while in Birmingham jail he reads the Clergymen's letter, and is responding to the clergymen who called his work "unwise and untimely" (Pg 175). It is rare that King

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894 Words | 4 Pages

In paragraph twelve the King brings up the clergy’s point of his willingness to break laws. In response to this King quotes St. Augustine “an unjust law is no law at all.” In order to counter this point King asserts “just and unjust laws require moral judgement.” Therefore meaning morally unjust laws should not be followed. This allows King to appeal to those who regard morals as the way to live life.

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257 Words | 2 Pages

The letter from Birmingham jail is a strong persuasive letter, especially for its audience, clergymen. King used all kinds of methods, logos, ethos, pathos. He is very insightful about his audience. King, as a clergyman himself, understand what other clergymen’s perspective and what they believe in. To start this letter, King addresses the recipient as “dear fellow clergymen”.

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1027 Words | 5 Pages

The letter from Birmingham jail by Dr. Marin Luther King was written as a response of King to ten criticisms made against the Southern Christian leaders and King’s participation in demonstration in Birmingham. King handled many rhetorical devices to convince his opponents such as white clergymen with his rights to protest and create tension for direct action to achieve the racial justice. The devices fluctuate between logos and ethos in clever way to appeal to his audience and criticize them at the same time. King provided logical supports such as biblical figures historical and philosophical references. In my essay, I will point out some of the rhetorical devices and the colorful words used by King.

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1143 Words | 5 Pages

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.

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439 Words | 2 Pages

His biblical reference had a huge role in this letter to enlighten the people. Martin Luther King within 3 paragraph starts expressing his love for the church and how they capture everything he believes in. Then follows on to the next paragraph saying it's perfect but in Birmingham, he had hoped maybe in the church there be a difference. In the 3rd paragraph he finally states ‘I have heard numerous southern religious leaders admonish their worshipers to comply with a desegregation decision because it is the law, but I have longed to hear white ministers declare: "Follow this decree because integration is morally right and because the Negro is your brother.’” He blames that is the church fault for not enlighten its community as leaders.

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1120 Words | 5 Pages

In “Letters from Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King Jr. writes a response to statements made by clergymen in which he strongly defends and expresses that his actions and the actions of his followers, were just and reasonable. The letter King writes is from his prison cell in Birmingham jail where he was imprisoned for parading without a permit when representing the Southern Christian Conference. Although King is in an upsetting situation, he does not regret the choices he made, but yet supports them. He mentions how the clergymen claimed that he was acting quickly, he then points out that, “We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights.” (King 91)

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958 Words | 4 Pages

In my perspective, King’s portrayal of the church still applies to many churches today that do not stand up for the current injustices in our modern world. To begin with, King boldly writes that though he hoped for the city of Birmingham’s religious leaders to stand up for injustice, he sadly states that they did not. He writes that he “came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of [the] community would see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral concern, serve as the channel through which our grievances could get to the power structure” (King 485). Instead of serving as this channel though, King details that “in the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churches stand on the sideline and merely mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities” (King 485).

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762 Words | 4 Pages

Continuing in his letter King goes on to tell the clergy men they need to take into consideration all the other things that are going on in the South like police brutality, bombing of homes, churches and much more instead of worrying about his protest. By the same token, he states in his letter that he got a chance to sit down with leaders of the economic community to make negations and promises that did not take place for example taking down humiliating signs from stores, but they broke all those promised so King prepared to take direct action which was protesting. Concluding the letter King states “I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership in the

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1546 Words | 7 Pages

Martin Luther King Jr. was a strong leader in the Civil Rights movement, the son and grandson of a minister, and one heck of a letter writer. As he sits in a cell of Birmingham Jail in 1963, he responds to criticism from eight white clergymen. Though this letter was intended for the judgemental and condescending men of high faith, his response touched the hearts and minds of the entire U.S. population, then, and for years to come. In his tear-jerking, mind-opening letter, King manages to completely discredit every claim made by the clergymen while keeping a polite and formal tone. Metaphors, allusions, and rhetorical questions are used in the most skillful way to support his argument and ultimately convince his audience of the credibility behind his emotional, yet factual, claims.

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1302 Words | 6 Pages

I believe that paragraphs 9 and 12 from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” are the strongest paragraphs in this letter of his. These paragraph is so profound and truly explain why segregation is unjust in two short paragraphs. They don’t go into a lot of detail on why segregation is unjust, because they don’t need to. They’re argument is strong enough with how short they are. Since these paragraphs give an easy to understand and short reasoning as to why segregation is unjust, explains what makes a law just or unjust, and show that just laws can be unjust when applied to situations such as segregation, I believe they are the strongest paragraphs in this letter.

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726 Words | 3 Pages

King follows the rest of the letter with more emotional cries, which included the split that had formed within the black community, on the argument of civil rights; Some had begun to settle for segregation, including some of the clergymen who had criticized King. Near the end, he opposes the clergymen's praise toward the Birmingham Police Department, by providing a vivid description of the attack on himself and his fellow protesters, leading up to his arrest. MLK closes his letter by stating his current situation, apologizing for the letter's length, and portraying a deep sense of pity, as he wishes for all to find faith for a better future. Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham City Jail makes heavy use of ethos and logos to clarify issues and concerns from his criticizers, but relies even more on the emotional connection that it portrays on the reader.

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959 Words | 4 Pages

Although that was enough reason to be in Birmingham King goes on further to say that he is in Birmingham because injustice is here. King says he couldn’t ignore the fact there was injustice in Birmingham regardless if he was an outsider or not. King goes on to say that “injustice anywhere is a danger to justice everywhere” this builds on the theory that “whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Defending his belief on just and unjust laws, King uses a quote of St. Augustine the quote says, “A unjust law is no law at all.” King uses this to answer the criticism on how can you advocate people to obey one law but breaking others.

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427 Words | 2 Pages

The writer’s meticulous use of selection of detail, diction and deductive reasoning allows the reader to further understand the events that occurred along with the effects it had on the community as a whole. Those who disagreed with his actions were disproved through these rhetorical devices, allowing them to comprehend his reasoning for his behavior in Birmingham. Overall Martin Luther King’s letter from the Birmingham jail is

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