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Similarities Between Martin Luther King Jr And Gandhi

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What is freedom? Freedom is the power or right, to think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas K. Gandhi were both very important people who had fought for the rights and freedom of others. My essay will consist of information from “Letter from Birmingham jail” by Martin Luther and “Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin” by Mohandas Gandhi. True freedom is non-violence, equality, and dignity because all humans were created as equals. To begin with both Martin Luther King and Gandhi had both used non violence as a way of gaining freedom. In the text “letter from Birmingham Jail,” it states “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: 1) collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are …show more content…

King had shown that he had wanted equality when he wrote in the text “Letter to Birmingham Jail.” This is shown when the text states “We know through painful experience that freedom is never given by the oppressor it must be given by the oppressed” (King). This quote shows that King was fighting for equality and the freedom of the people because no matter how hard and long he had waited and fought for freedom, his voice was almost never heard. Similarly, Gandhi had shown he was fighting for the equality of the people in the text “Letter to the Viceroy.” The author wrote “I shall be running what might be termed as risk, but victories of the truth have never been won without risk, often of the gravest character” (Gandhi). This quote shows that Gandhi had been fighting for the equality and freedom of the people because no matter what may have been done the only way the battle will be won is with a greater risk. As shown both Gandhi and King had both been using equality to fight for their freedom of the …show more content…

King had shown dignity when he had written in the text “Letter to Birmingham Jail.” Specifically,""Justice too long delayed is justice denied.” We have waited for our constitutional and God-given rights” (King). This quote means that they have been fighting for many years in hopes to no longer have to deal with the segregation and dehumanization the black community was receiving. In addition, Gandhi had shown dignity when he wrote in the text “Letter to the viceroy.” For instance, “I respectfully invite you then to prove the way for an immediate removal of these evils and thus open a way for a real conference between equals, interested only in promoting the common good of mankind through voluntary friendship and arranging in terms of mutual help and commerce suited to both” (Gandhi). This quote shows how GAndhi was being respectful and still attempting to convince the Viceroy that he is wanting peace amongst each other. Both King and Gandhi had been making their statements to gain more diversity and equality amongst their

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Tom murphy and John Colter both crossed Yellowstone in December. They both went alone with little supplies to explore Yellowstone, but Tom crossed what he knows is Yellowstone almost 200 years later than John, when Yellowstone park didn’t exist. Tom is only doing it for fun and excitement, where John did it to explore. He has a lot more gear that is a lot more advanced unlike John, who probably only had a coat, hat, glove, boots, and maybe a sleeping bag. People know the route Tom took but, no one really knows the route John took.

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1626 Words | 7 Pages

King’s letter is full of powerful and motivating quotes. King explained the topic of freedom and how it was difficult for the African Americans to achieve, he stated: “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (68). The African Americans, specifically the leaders, went through extremely tough and painful experiences. According to King, for the African Americans to achieve freedom they had to fight for it, because the oppressors refused to give freedom to their victims. King knew this because of the many different painful experiences him and the other leaders experienced to receive their

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935 Words | 4 Pages

In the same manner, both writers use several words or statements to support their perspectives and address the audience with the appeal of elicit feelings. In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” King writes, “...when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year old son asking in agonizing pathos, “Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?” This use of this proposed situation is presented towards the audience so they are able to have an insight of the painful experiences King has experienced. Furthermore, the writer from “The truly awe-inspiring accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr” writes “He was also an excellent orator and delivered remarkable speeches during his career span. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” , is a line from one of his most recognizable speeches, “I have a Dream.”

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1066 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout reading King’s letter “From Birmingham City Jail” there are many strong points made that could easily compel the reader to understand his point of view. Each paragraph was intricately written to have a deeper meaning. One paragraph that stood out to be the strongest was paragraph twelve. This paragraph had strong points that put the reader in a poignant standing with in the situations that were brought upon, one could easily feel the inequality expressed. If we look at the previous paragraph building up to this one, King starts off by saying “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (King 5).

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477 Words | 2 Pages

Elie Wiesel and Martin Luther King Jr. use a passionate, direct tone as well as repetition to convey the need for equality and a sense of urgency. Wiesel’s speech was encouraging and touching when he used words like “kingdom of night” and “desperately” to make the readers feel sympathy that could change their minds about the world. He spoke confidently and his words were direct, which was all trying to address that “we must always take sides” or the world won’t ever change. If we stay silent and take no positions, the country will have a greater chance of failing because no one is willing to make a difference. In the same way, King wants to influence the way people view and act upon the world.

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901 Words | 4 Pages

He writes, "It is a historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation" (King, 1963). The repeated assertion that change must be made in the present and not left to some uncertain future creates a sense of immediacy and responsibility for the audience's part. In summary, King's letter from Birmingham Jail is a masterful display of rhetorical strategies that successfully convinced people to join the Civil Rights Movement.

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1218 Words | 5 Pages

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., stands up against the racial inequalities that plague not just the state of Alabama but the United States as a whole at the time. He claims the solution to racial inequality and the next step in furthing the civil rights movement is through nonviolent action. King’s passionate tone creates a sense of pride and confidence in his cause; as well as his use of ethos, logos, and pathos give the letter a sense of structure and unity. The purpose of Martin Luther King Jr. writing “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was to address the article published by eight local clergymen “A Call for Unity”.

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838 Words | 4 Pages

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is a powerful defense of nonviolent resistance to racism; it promotes a peaceful campaign against unjust laws and calls for direct action to bring about social change. The walk to freedom was never easy, Dr.King and all the people that fought for freedom endured hardships. In the letter Dr.King wrote, he talked about the peaceful protest he led. He emphasized on how it was not an easy walk through. As we read the letter we see some of the hardships they faced; which were hate, broken promises, sacrifice and fighting for what you believed in even though it could have been the reason you end up dead.

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684 Words | 3 Pages

King was inspiring person who change lives. The body of his work is something another man, may not achieve. He was isolated in cell with limited supply to create this letter. But perhaps, such a setting made his work seem all the more impressive due to the fact that his words were able to reach out and affect so many out there outside the unforgiving bars confining him. Martin Luther king uses several strategies to argue that all me should be treated equal.

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895 Words | 4 Pages

King writes to the eight clergymen who were critical of his protests and to the indifferent people of the United States. In the essay, he claims that he has done nothing wrong by protesting peacefully. In paragraph 11, King says “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” He is saying that freedom is something they have to fight for because the authorities will not give it to them. He is directing this statement at the clergymen while reaching the apathetic people of the United States.

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's “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, is a timeless piece that was used not only in the past but can be applied to the present and future as well. This piece holds much value because there will always be persecution and injustice present but this text reminds everyone that there can be a difference made if you stick to what you believe and fight for change. King shows us that through non-violent protests you can get your point across in an effective way because you are showing more strength by not giving your persecutors the satisfaction of knowing that they control you and your emotions. He was ahead of his time in the sense that he set the precedent for the rest of humanity to fight for equality and to love those who hate you, even if it is grueling. Too many people will choose caution over courage, and King was a prime example of why we should all choose courage no matter the adversity and detestation that may come with

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654 Words | 3 Pages

Rather, he had a huge community of African-Americans on his side taking part in non-violent protests. Although not an ally, Gandhi was a major mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. Gandhi was very inspirational to King because of his non-violent protest and it was what influenced King to go visit India. King stated, “There is another way... as modern as Gandhi saying through Thoreau, that 'non‑cooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good” (Raab).

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811 Words | 4 Pages

he theme of freedom and equality is prevalent in both “The Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr. While the two documents were written over a century apart, they share a common goal of achieving justice and fairness for all people. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s letter builds upon the foundation laid by Jefferson in the Declaration, asserting that freedom and equality are not just ideals to be strived for, but are rights that must be guaranteed to all citizens. Freedom and equality were crucial values in the eras of both Martin Luther King Jr. and the Declaration of Independence. King fought for the civil rights of African Americans, who were denied basic freedoms and treated unequally under the law.

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606 Words | 3 Pages

Even though by the nonviolence acts that Gandhi used toward the British’s Gandhi was taken to jail for various reasons, one from disobeying authorities to urging public resistance of the British Empire. He beg responsibility and is sentenced to six years in prison but was later released in January, 1924. At the same time, during the 1963, in the united stated Martin Luther King was also taken to jail. Like Gandhi Even though King used non-violence to fix an injustice law he went to jail.

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719 Words | 3 Pages

The main idea of his speech is that all people were created equal and, although this is no longer the case nowadays, King felt it must be the case for the future. He argued peacefully, yet passionately and powerfully. In preparation for the speech, he studied the Bible, The Gettysburg Address and the US Declaration of Independence and he alludes to all three in his address. The intensity of King’s speech is built through parallelism, metaphors, bold statements and rhythmic repetitions:

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