Response to "Letter From a Birmingham Jail"

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in response to his fellow white clergymen who criticized his actions that landed him in jail. He used Biblical examples to show that his nonviolent actions were necessary for African Americans to move forward in this country. This letter was mainly directed to those religious leaders who have the power to do something about segregation but don't. The purpose is to hopefully get the backup from powerful religious leaders and end segregation. He communicates this message very effectively to these men from his quotes from Saint Paul and King Solomon which is preached within the churches of these religious leaders. He also justifies his nonviolent action by comparing it to "just" and "unjust" laws with one example of Hitler ( “We can never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany.”)

King claims there is no better timing for something that has been at conflict for 340 years and that there was no wrongdoing during this "sit-in." He says in confidence, “ We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with the destiny of America. Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson scratched across the pages of history the majestic word of the Declaration of Independence, we were here ...If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands ...” Martin Luther King Jr. is asking for the help of the clergymen so they can move forward with Civil Rights. Mr. King scolded the clergymen saying,“The early Christians rejoiced when