Letter From Birmingham Jail By Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Right to Brotherhood Dr. King 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King created a huge controversy, which generated a newspaper headlines through out the world. King’s movement in which he inspired, that Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act in 1964, which was the same year King himself was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his “I have a dream” speech. April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail” to the Clergymen. This letter expressed his thoughts about segregation by providing examples of unjust laws and pointing out violations of constitutional rights. Dr. King also argues his point by writing about extremists, oppressed individuals,

Dr. Kings states, “So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be.” Dr. King states a good point, it is not that you wont be an extremist because, we all are one in some way, but rather than what kind we will be categorized in. Although Dr. King believed in freedom, rights for people, and believed freedom should be expressed without being called an extremist therefore, Dr. King “was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as [he] continued to think about the matter [he] gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label” (King, 25). Furthermore, King is referencing many to believe as an extremist such as Jesus, Amos, Paul, Martin Luther, Abraham Lincoln, John Bunyan, and Thomas Jefferson. “Jesus for love, Amos an extremist for justice, Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel, Martin Luther an extremist, John Bunyan, Abraham Lincoln and lastly, Thomas Jefferson” (King, 25). Additionally, Dr. King referencing these extremist, not just to prove a point, but rather than show the clergymen to realize these men stood up for their beliefs and made it known for constitutional

King brought forth law enforcement, the civil rights movement, and speaks about how it was unjust and just. “An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal” (King, 15). An unjust law is simply unfair; it’s a voting criterion and may not be right. [A] just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal” (King, 15). This is still a voting criterion, but is willing to accommodate the minority of the voting. King was charged for parading without a permit, and understands why having one is required, 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, 15). King resumes pleading his case and agrees with his consequence, but believes he did this not maliciously but did this out of respect. “I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law” (King,