In a "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" written by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963‚ King addresses the issue of inequality of citizens in existence in American society and the need for moral responsibility regarding human dignity. The issues of inequality addressed by King in his letter are still prominent in American society today; no longer mandated by law‚ but by the mere existence of custom and racism. Dr. King uses logical appeal in order to explain the difference between just and unjust laws
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Letter From Birmingham Jail Thesis Statement: This Letter‚ designed as a response to the clergymen that opposed the way in which Dr King was protesting‚ Dr King’s letter actually addresses two audiences simultaneously; the limited and defined group of clergymen and a broader and less exactly defined group of intelligent and religious white moderates. In this letter‚ Martin Luther King addresses these clergymen on their own terms. He uses the very cultural‚ biblical‚ and classical foundations
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Dylan Knox English 111 (Red) Mrs. Jones October 7‚ 2013 Essay #2 1.) Martin Luther King wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” from a jail cell in Alabama in April of 1963‚ hence the title. He was arrested for leading a non-violent protest against the discriminatory Jim Crow laws. These laws separated facilities between Blacks and Whites such as restaurants‚ schools‚ lodging‚ public facilities and many more. The Jim Crow laws brought about one of the famous staples of racial oppression in America
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The general argument made by King in his letter titled “ Letter from Birmingham Jail” is that in order for Blacks to get their rights they must use non-violent resistance. More specifically‚ King argues that they must demand that they get their rights and he states that with time‚ the non-violent resistance will make situations which will force whites to negotiate. There are two distinct sides to this very complicated issue‚ and while King argues that non-violent resistance is the key to acquiring
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Martin Luther King‚ Jr.‚ in his famous Letter from the Birmingham Jail‚ responds forcefully yet politely to a public statement made by eight Alabama clergymen in 1963. He defends his position as an African American and strongly defends racial equality‚ referencing countless sources and utilizing several literary devices. Most significantly‚ King uses frequent Biblical allusions and metaphors‚ not only to relate to the Clergymen and the people of Alabama‚ but also to display his passion for equality
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rights movement of the 1950s‚ Martin Luther King Jr. defends the actions of the African American community in his essay “A Letter from Birmingham Jail.” King’s purpose is to prove why the negative “extremist” label that is slapped on the protesters does not accurately reflect the actions that are taken to fight for equality. He adopts a hopeful tone in order to connect to the rationality and humanity in his mainly white audience despite their differences. King begins his refutation of the clergymen’s
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In this letter‚ addressed to eight “fellow clergymen” from Alabama who collectively published a letter of criticism in a newspaper on the handling of protests by King and his cohorts in Birmingham‚ King gives a few different takes on the difference between a just and unjust law. They’ve all to do with‚ as King says‚ “difference made legal”; as to say‚ “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.” It is necessary
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during a time when America was divided by race and creed. Dr. Martin Luther King was motivated to write this letter by the unjustified violent acts of discrimination‚ imprisonment‚ and physical bodily harm that he and many others had encountered during what was supposed to be a non-violent racial segregation protest in Birmingham‚ Alabama. After being arrested for his part in the protest‚ he penned “Letter from Birmingham Jail” from the confines of his cell. He used examples of well-known religious leaders
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Michael Darmozadeh Letter From a Birmingham Jail: Wise and Timely The African-American Civil Rights Movement targeted towards outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans‚ and predominantly focused on creating equality among all individuals. Dr. Martin Luther King‚ Jr. particularly was one of the prominent figures of the movement. Due to the presence of injustice in Birmingham‚ Alabama‚ King planned a non-violent protest against racial segregation practiced by the city ’s government
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Understanding the Understood Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. produced many literary works that have maintained lasting impressions on their readers‚ his piece called “A Letter from Birmingham Jail” is no different. This letter was written as a response to another letter‚ titled “A Call for Unity‚” which was written by eight clergymen on April 12‚ 1963 and criticized Dr. King’s protest as being untimely. The clergymen agreed that social injustices existed but that they should be settled through the judicial
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