Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

In paragraphs 5 to 11 of “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King answers to the charge that he will demonstrate, but he will not negotiate for change. As MLK begins his defense in paragraph 5 by agreeing with the clergymen that it is too bad that the Negro community has to demonstrate in Birmingham (par. 5). Despite that, MLK then points out that the clergymen do not consider the conditions that exist in Birmingham that make the demonstrations necessary. He makes notice that the clergymen confuse cause and effect. King explains that the effect of the trouble is the demonstrations and that the demonstrations are not the cause of the trouble, the cause of the trouble is because of the system of segregation that are revealed by

Miller points out, a logical argument is one that is based on facts or statistics. MLK's tone in paragraph 5 is a reasonable tone and one that would fit the criteria of Millers definition of a logical argument using facts and statistics. King points out that the clergymen have the incapability to recognize the problem in Birmingham and that they have overlooked it for to long. He also assures the clergymen that they don't want to mistake the cause for effect and make sure that they know the real cause on why he is taking action. MLK points out that the “white power structure” forced the Negro community to take action. He makes it clear that the demonstrations are because the white have left them with no alternative but to take action. In saying all this, King's strategy is point out where the clergymen were mistaken and he even agrees with them that yes indeed it is too bad he must

He says that there are four adequate steps to his non-violent program. These steps consist of collecting facts to determine if injustice exist and second would be to try to negotiate the injustices. If the first two don't work then it would be followed by the third step which is the purification of the people to prepare for the fourth step which is direct action (par. 6). MLK then points out the time when they were trying to negotiate but were betrayed. He explains that merchants had promised to take down the racial signs, and then they found themselves waiting for weeks and months until they realized that they we the victims of a broken promise. Some signs were taken down but later replaced or put back up. In MLKs and the Negro communities case negotiation was not an option (par. 7). MLK then finds himself in deep disappointment after the broken promise and he then decides to proceed by starting the purification step and planing the direct action. He expresses that they are ready to do the demonstrations because they have gone through self-purification and have attended workshops on non-violent demonstrations. King then set a date for the demonstrations for easter because it was one of the holiday most shopped for (par. 8). Unfortunately they had to postpone the demonstrations for after the mayoral elections so that the voting of mayor