Not affiliated with Harvard College. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was writing the letter in order to defend his organization's nonviolent strategies. The multiple traditions from which Dr. King draws his allusions reflects this belief, showing his deference for and trust in a variety of approaches, including: secular theory; Jewish theology; Christian thinkers; political figures; and historical persons. Summary and Analysis. When he explains the many distinctions that support his cause such as the differences between just and unjust laws, violence and nonviolence, or just means and unjust ends he is implicitly suggesting that the clergymen are too dense to realize the nuances of the situation they have so openly criticized. While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities unwise and untimely. Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the churchs silentand often even vocalsanction of things as they are. He stipulates through pathos that good men want a solid rock of human dignity, and then argues that direct action like that of the SCLC is the only way to reach such a transcendent state. A few signs, briefly removed, returned; the others remained. Civil rights, political, and social activist, minister and spokesperson for nonviolent activism. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up that states segregation laws was democratically elected? A Letter in Pieces. ", "But more basically, I am in Birmingham" through "live in monologue rather than dialogue. I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in the South have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it. Most of the Martin Luther statements were very rhetorical, whereby he employed Aristotle's kinds of persuasion to convince his audience. In context, he is turning the tables on those who've caused the demonstrations in the first place. Letter From Birmingham Jail study guide contains a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr., literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. I'm not sure what you mean by "these people". ", "One of the basic points in your statement" through "I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained. And yet even within this logical argument is an implicit use of pathos, as he implicitly asks the question would you really want to support a law that distorts the soul? Dr. Kings argument empowers the individual to be conscientious of injustice in the world, and to let that be his guide, rather than relying on socially dictated truisms like the law is the law., We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." What are the four basic steps to a direct action non-violent campaign? Of course, this is overstating it somewhat, since he does define and contextualize the concept of extremism immediately before this passage, but there is nevertheless a self-satisfaction with his position here. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Though this passage comes earlier than the explicit discussion of the white moderate, it is one of the clearest articulations of the accusation he makes against them. Nourished by the Negros frustration over the continued existence of racial discrimination, this movement is made up of people who have lost faith in America, who have absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man is an incorrigible devil.. Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being disturbers of the peace and outside agitators. But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were a colony of heaven, called to obey God rather than man. Summarize what led to the decision to start the protests in Birmingham? Letter from Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. From the Birmingham jail, where he was imprisoned as a participant in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote in longhand the letter which follows. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.. In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action. . So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy and transform our pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Of course, there are some notable exceptions. I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. Yes, I love the church. Paul Tillich has said that sin is separation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right. Preceding this passage, he explains his disappointment, arguing that the church merely validates an unjust status quo, rather than being a force for social change and human betterment, an active part of the struggle for mans dignity in a cruel world. Isnt negotiation a better path? You are quite right in calling for negotiation. I have beheld the impressive outlines of her massive religious education buildings. Yes, these questions are still in my mind. The solution to the Letter From Birmingham Jail initials crossword clue should be: MLK (3 letters) Below, you'll find any keyword(s) defined that may help you understand the clue or the answer better. He is a U.S. citizen and no U.S. citizen is an outsider anywhere within the U.S. 3. While in the Birmingham City jail, Martin Luther King, Jr. had little access to the outside world, and was only able to read "A Call to Unity" when a trusted friend smuggled the newspaper into his jail cell. April 16, 1963 As the events of the Birmingham Campaign intensified on the city's streets, Martin Luther King, Jr., composed a letter from his prison cell in Birmingham in response to local religious leaders' criticisms of the campaign: "Never before have I written so long a letter. Because Dr. King establishes this philosophical groundwork so early on, he has unimpeachable justifications for those later claims. King wrote his response in the margins of the paper, in pieces, and they were smuggled back out to a fellow pastor . In what ways do Dr. Kings repeated references to Socrates help to elucidate his overall approach? In other words, they should join his cause not only for his sake, but for their own. Summarize what led to the decision to start the protests in Birmingham? Cedars, S.R.. McKeever, Christine ed. If one recognizes this vital urge that has engulfed the Negro community, one should readily understand why public demonstrations are taking place. The teachings of Christ take time to come to earth. Such an attitude stems from a tragic misconception of time, from the strangely irrational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. If You Choose To Obey A Law, You Won't Get Beat Up Nor Arrested By The Government. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom. And yet his harsh tone is much more universalist than simply the criticism of the clergymen would support. Letter from Birmingham Jail is a response to. ", I must make two honest confessions. through now this approach is being termed extremist., But though I was initially disappointed through embodied in our echoing demands., Read the Study Guide for Letter From Birmingham Jail, Rhetorical Analysis of Letter From a Birmingham Jail, We Are in This Together: Comparing "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and "Sonny's Blues", Fighting Inequality with the Past: A Look into "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and Related Historical Documents, A Question of Appeal: Rhetorical Analysis of Malcolm X and MLK, View our essays for Letter From Birmingham Jail, Introduction to Letter From Birmingham Jail, View the lesson plan for Letter From Birmingham Jail, View Wikipedia Entries for Letter From Birmingham Jail. In this sense they have conducted themselves rather nonviolently in public. If nothing else, Letter from Birmingham Jail is a masterpiece of pointed passive aggression. I felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. In its final lines, Dr. King implies that proceeding without tension is going to leave man in the dark depths of prejudice and racism. It is a passive, implicit warning that addressing segregation without tension would be not only ineffective, but dangerous. We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights. It covers the rhetorical devices used by Martin Luther King, Jr. Letter from the Birmingham Jail Quotes Showing 1-30 of 33. If they are not pernicious, then they are ignorant of themselves. His organization has ties in Birmingham 4. An early example is his discussion and defense of tension. However, here he shows a much greater eagerness to accept a mantle, regardless of his audiences response. Some -such as Ralph McGill, Lillian Smith, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Ann Braden and Sarah Patton Boylehave written about our struggle in eloquent and prophetic terms. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. In Dr. Kings argument, moderation is a reflection of the moderates ignorant and unwitting sinfulness. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" on April 16, 1963. That is, if indeed injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere, then it follows that a man interested in justice must endeavor to stop it, not just for the sake of his immediate community, but for the good of all mankind. In "Letter from Birmingham City Jail," Martin Luther King, Jr., uses logos, pathos, and ethosto support his arguments. Throughout the Letter, Dr. King is careful to measure his tone, to avoid validating any knee-jerk anxieties that his audience might feel. First, it conforms to his ultimate purpose of justifying his cause as being in the name of justice. I do not say this as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.. Site by Barrel. They have gone down the highways of the South on tortuous rides for freedom. He writes: All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but it is possible that you are in too great a religious hurry. Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. His hope is that he will not only defend himself against the clergymen and white moderates in general, but also that he will encourage them to support his cause. Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which, even though Negroes constitute a majority of the population, not a single Negro is registered. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. At first I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. Letter from Birmingham Jail Audience SOAPStone Method King writes this in response to a letter sent from some religious authorities. Simply put, he suggests that just laws uphold human dignity, while unjust laws demean it. I am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great grandson of preachers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws.. Over the past few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. Rhetorical Analysis of "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" How Stoicism Supports Civil Disobedience Though the allusion serves several particular purposes as a symbol of wisdom or of civil disobedience it often speaks to Dr. Kings overall approach in the Letter. The Socratic dialogues are masterpieces of misdirection, as Socrates does not offer answers but rather questions assertions made by other people. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.. The Question and Answer section for Letter From Birmingham Jail is a great It will cover the parts of the SOAPSTone method, offer examples, and give a sample. Writing process will be in this set forth in the best. Further, he implicitly suggests that by continuing to facilitate the oppression of the black man through moderation, his audience is operating in sin and will ultimately be on the losing side. My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Birmingham was one of the most racially segregated and oppressive, to blacks, city in America. Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case. Though Dr. King has a more pointed suggestion to make about the world than Socrates did, he nevertheless recognized in the Socratic method a rhetorical approach that would pacify the knee-jerk defenses of his opponents so he could then defeat them. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. This guide is based on the revised version of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," published as the fifth essay in Why We Can't Wait (1964).King's letter is a response to another open letter, "A Call for Unity," published in The Birmingham News and collectively authored by eight . Where were they when Governor Wallace gave a clarion call for defiance and hatred? However, he for the most part suggests that all men are responsible for all others, an idea that would not be as effective if the tone of the argument was too fiery and confrontational. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the citys white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative. I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. There are times when he distinguishes himself and his cause from that of his opponents, particularly in terms of race. First is his argument that all men are interrelated, and responsible for one another. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with Americas destiny. I have hope that Mr. Boutwell will be reasonable enough to see the futility of massive resistance to desegregation. Subject Purpose King explains his reasons for civil disobedience and urges the religious leaders to act on what they preach about. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection. And yet his attacks are incessant, usually through implicit threats or suggestions. A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. Small in number, they were big in commitment. Before the pen of Jefferson etched the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence across the pages of history, we were here. His attack here on the clergy who seem to support law and order without considering the repressive segregation that comes with such order is not very subtle, comparing them to Nazis who persecuted Jews simply because their prejudices were protected by the law. 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