MLK Jr. Responds Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a clear, concise, and argumentative response to the charges made upon him by the Alabama clergymen by writing the Letter from a Birmingham Jail. In his Letter, King answered their criticisms of his work and ideas with patient and reasonable terms. King does not seem short-fused or vehement in this letter; he is calm and collected in his firm response to the clergymen. Also, in his letter his tone was strong, but neither violent nor threatening towards the clergymen.
King is patient and understanding to the criticism and views of his fellow clergymen. He seeks to find common ground with the clergymen; he politely and respectfully argues every point they bring up. He does not lose his temper but simply asks them to walk a mile in his shoes to understand why he needed to heard. He patiently lays out all reason why he was fighting to end a battle that had lasted more than three hundred and sixty years. King does not take insult to the clergymen’s criticism but he gently counter argues every point they bring up.
Analysis of “I Have a Dream” and “Letter to Birmingham Jail” In the “Letter to Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King addresses the criticisms and objections that the white clergymen had made towards his and his affiliated organization’s efforts in trying to end segregation and achieve his and his people’s birth right: the right to be free through nonviolent means. Through the “I Have a Dream Speech” King speaks to his supporters and as well as to the entire nation to make them be fully aware of the injustices they are facing and through this make them stand up to those injustices. Both “Letter to Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream Speech” have the same underlying meaning however. That way too long have the black community been treated wrongly. That way too long have the black nation been “judged by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character (King 815)” and therefore it is time for them to rise and stand up for their rights.
Jennifer Smith Prof Franco 3/26/2011 Engl 1213 Standing up One of the most known advocates for equality is Martin Luther King Jr. He’s had some of the most moving, convincing and change inducing speeches of all time. His “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is no exception. King wrote the letter from a Birmingham jail cell in April on 1963 following his arrest for public demonstration. In the beginning of the letter, King describes his reason for writing the letter as a response to the Clergymen’s statement calling his “present activities unwise and untimely. ” (King).
This is then reinforced by Source 2, written by Edward Lee, the Archbishop of York, which says that ‘all ecclesiastical persons should preach the sincere Word of God’. These two sources reference genuine worry concerning the possible danger of the religious system and combine together to suggest that this reason was a legitimate one for the visitations. When talking about reliability, it must be noticed that the first source was written by a Royal Commissioner. These were the people sent by Cromwell to perform the visitations; therefore they would have not spoken negatively of the situation. It can be interpreted that because this is a letter from Layton to Cromwell, the messaged could very well have contained the absolute and confidential truth; by this I mean any underlying truths that were kept from the public eye could have been mentioned in this letter because it was between Cromwell and his Commissioner.
Tetzel also implores his readers to become a part of these indulgences to assure their ascent into heaven. According to the Catholic church, and Tetzel who so strongly believed in these rituals, wished to open the eyes of the mind. Tetzel explains to his readers the constant struggle of life man endures while living on earth. Tetzel describes letters obtained from the vicar of our Lord Jesus Christ, that will liberate man's soul from the hands of the enemy. Tetzel continues to enlighten his readers to the fact, there is no way to count the many sins a human being can commit on a daily basis.
Dr. King’s letter uses an example of anaphora. “So, I along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am…I am in Birmingham because injustice is here.” This quote is letting the clergymen know that wherever injustice may be, he will be there to organize his staff to help fight that injustice. Throughout his letter, Dr. King uses allegory. In this quote he states, “Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C.
Martin Luther wrote a letter in response to the Eight White Clergymen. Using ethos, pathos and logos, King tried to persuade the church to adhere to the problems African Americans are facing. He let them know that what they wrote in their letter was not the completely accurate. Most importantly he told them even if the church does not come to aid, African Americans will still overcome their struggle and gain their freedom. “But even if the church does not come to the aid of justice, I have no despair about the future.” King kind of challenged the church; with or without them, African Americans will continue to strive.
He creates an understanding of values, by referring to the early Christians, Apostle Paul, and even Christ. While defending his being in Birmingham he states, “…just as the Apostle Paul…carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners…so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town.” He continues referring to their shared beliefs to further strengthen their common ground. After questioning the logic behind the clergy men’s statement pertaining to the non-violent protest precipitating violence King argues, “Isn’t this like condemning Jesus because his unique God-consciousness and never-ceasing devotion to God’s will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion?” King continually connects with his audience’s faith; he then begins targeting the religious leader’s deeper emotions. He begins to divulge on his personal experiences with the injustice of segregation. In the following quote he goes into detail why he cannot delay justice, “Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, “Wait.” But… when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking, “Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?”.” King also goes into detail about his daughter not being able to go to Fun Town, it was closed to blacks, and how painful it was to see her eyes fill with tears.
Thus, King is a prophet for freedom like Paul, but also like Jesus in the way that it is his Job to be here in Birmingham. This provides him with the highest level of authority in the religious field. He suggests he has the support of God to wage his war against injustice. Therefore, since God has chosen him, it implies he is of higher moral standards just like his fellow clergyman, they are equal and share the same Christian Values. Relying on Christian Values he makes the point that what is going on in Birmingham should actually be affecting you, fellow clergyman.