He was also known as a priest, and priests are generally known to be trustworthy. Eight white clergymen published a letter in the local newspaper criticizing Kings actions and discrediting him as an outsider. 1963 was a time when the southern united states were enforced by racial segregation laws known as jim crow laws. It has taken Christianity almost 2,000 years to accomplish what it has. Remember: This is just a sample from a fellow student. WebLetter from Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. From the Birmingham jail, where he was imprisoned as a participant in nonviolent demonstrations against I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. The goal is to aggravate the whites until they finally give in to negotiations. Specifically, I will argue that Kings claims are more persuasive because they take a more realistic and practical approach compared to Platos claims, which contain inconsistencies and rely on assumptions that may not always be true. So let him march sometime; let him have his prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; understand why he must have sit-ins and freedom rides. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands. He also addresses his own credibility in the letter I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating, Martin Luther King Jr. used ethos pathos and logos. WebWhen reading "Letter from Birmingham Jail" one may notice that Martin Luther King Jr. Used many instances of logos, ethos, pathos, and even Kairos. When Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his Letter from Birmingham Jail in the 1960s, racial prejudice was rampant. Words: 1806. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. On April 12, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested. Martin Luther King Jr. was a non-violent leader significant in the Therefore, the letter is a powerful motivation. Dr. King was sent to jail many times for standing up for all equality and speaking out on segregation. Upon being arrested, eight white clergymen wrote an open letter in a newspaper that criticized King and his followers. One day the South will recognize its real heroes. In this paper, I will argue that Martin Luther Kings claim concerning civil disobedience as expressed in Letter from Birmingham Jail is more persuasive than that of Platos claim concerning obedience to the law in Crito. Get your custom essay. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty. In all, he is defending his organizations nonviolent ways. Print. He wrote the letter to a group of clergymen about racial prejudice in society, discussing the impact of segregation and the details of his nonviolent methods to end it. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions Students who find writing to be a difficult task. We will write an essay sample crafted to your needs. Just as the eighth century prophets left their little villages and carried their thus saith the Lord far beyond the boundaries of their home town, and just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Graeco-Roman world, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular home town. Web"Letter from Birmingham Jail" LOGOS Logos is an appeal to our logic or reasoning. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks, before submitting to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. The King further displays the use of ethos when he stated that all those black Americans who had adjusted to the segregation laws were simply drained of self-respect (King 4). I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it. By April 12, King was in prison along with many of his fellow activists. All rights reserved. This essay examines the rhetorical situation of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail." If you fit this description, you can use our free essay samples to generate ideas, get inspired and figure out a title or outline for your paper. It argues that King's "Letter" was an essential response for civil rights to continue as a mass movement in Birmingham and beyond. They will be old, oppressed, battered Negro women, symbolized in a seventy-two year old woman of Montgomery, Alabama, who rose up with a sense of dignity and with her people decided not to ride the segregated buses, and responded to one who inquired about her tiredness with ungrammatical profundity: My feets is tired, but my soul is rested. They will be the young high school and college students, young ministers of the gospel and a host of their elders courageously and nonviolently sitting-in at lunch counters and willingly going to jail for conscience sake. Fair Use Policy or become aware of any violations, please do not hesitate to contact us via support@edubirdie.com. WebMartin Luther Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail is the most important written document of the civil rights era. King uses rhetorical strategies to strengthen his message to the people, bringing change to many peoples life. In this, the author purposes to depict his understanding of important events and the respect he and his organization bestow on crucial matters of the society. Now this approach is being dismissed as extremist. Paul Tillich has said that sin is separation. At a broader level , I dont believe you would so quickly commend the policemen if you would observe their ugly and inhuman treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you would watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you would see them slap and kick old Negro men and young Negro boys; if you will observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. In paragraph two MLK presents the fact that he is president of the organization, Southern Christian Leadership. Even when they were told so it was not widely believed. The King makes use of pathos on page five of the letter to support his affiliations pacifist tactics. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up over the nation, the largest and best known being Elijah Muhammads Muslim movement. So segregation is not only politically, economically, and sociologically unsound, but it is morally wrong and sinful. So, after all, maybe the South, the nation, and the world are in dire need of creative extremists. He also indicates that law-abiding protests and moralizing can not simply abolish apartheid. King responded to their accusations by writing a Letter from Birmingham Jail. April 16, 1963. One may well ask: How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others? The answer is found in the fact that there are two types of laws: There are just laws and there are unjust laws. Honors Letter from Birmingham Jail Test-2017.docx. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong or even more so to use moral means to preserve immoral ends. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was writing the letter in order to defend his organizations nonviolent strategies. In this, it is good to note that priest are usually trusted and more so respected something which gives them an automatic embodiment of ethos. 2023 EduBirdie.com. Ed. Martin Luther King used his experience as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to demonstrate, Ethos is the ethical appeal, showing the author, or work has credibility. Despite the harsh treatment he and his fellow protestors had received, King continued his work in Birmingham. He takes up for his cause in Birmingham, and However, the clarity with that he makes his arguments and therefore the dedication to one premise strikes most powerfully of philosopher. So I have tried to make it clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the Letter from a Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963. If I have said anything in this letter that is an understatement of the truth and is indicative of my having a patience that makes me patient with anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me. It is a presentation of the logical relationships between and the reasoning for a particular position. This uses logos as it shows logical steps to prove they have done what is right. For example, humans did not believe the earth was round until proof came out that it was true. He accomplishes this by depicting how the South would look like if his organization had resulted to violent methods, and also how the Negroes would trudge along if they were totally complying with the segregation policies. WebPurpose? Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. I wish you had commended the Negro sit-inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer, and their amazing discipline in the midst of the most inhuman provocation. Consequently, the "Letter" as rhetorical response opened a new public frame for pragmatic, value-based identification with civil rights for historical and contemporary audiences. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Courts decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, it is rather strange and paradoxical to find us consciously breaking laws. By clicking Continue, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. Now what is the difference between the two? WebSyntax; Advanced Search; New. Kairos, adapted from Greek to mean Gods Time, is a Christian retreat program geared toward deepening ones faith, identity, relationships, and connection to Gods role in our lives. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth, and goodness, and thereby rose above His environment. It 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 incurable devil. I have tried to stand between these two forces saying that we need not follow the do-nothingism of the complacent or the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. Examples of ethos in Letter from Birmingham Jail are seen in the first two paragraphs of the second page. In your statement you asserted that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. The Enchiridion is a list of 52 principles [], For this paper, I am going to analyze Kings Letter From Birmingham Jail and Lincolns Inaugural address and discuss how the two connect but also discuss what separates them. Privacy Policy In that dramatic scene on Calvarys hill three men were crucified. MLK He wants to awaken the conscience of more people, and he wants to use moral force to expose the unjust law. King responds with complete confidence that he is in the right place at the right time, and that his actions are necessary. He mentions things like "injustice" and "responsible people". While in jail, Martin Luther King Jr. expressed discontentment concerning such critiques and desired to address these concerns with an appropriate mechanism through this letter. Have no time to work on your essay? But before closing I am impelled to mention one other point in your statement that troubled me profoundly. Through this statement, the king also paints a vivid mental picture on how the situation would be if actually violent methods were being used by his organization. Authentic adult maturity may arrive at a kairos time of twenty-five, thirty, forty-two, or fifty-five years of age. 3.I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. The Historical Impact of this development, Letter From Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr, Reverend and Civil Rights Activist, the letter that he wrote was about Dr.King writing back to the eight clergymen who were criticizing him and his fellow activists. One has not only a legal but moral responsibility to obey just laws. King has explained this through many examples of racial situations, factual and logical reasoning, and also allusions to Christianity. The meaning behind Ethos is to appeal to ethics, which means convincing readers of the authors credibility, meanwhile Pathos is an appeal to emotion, and is used in literature to convince readers of an argument by getting their emotions involved. He does this by showing what the South would be like if they resorted to violent actions, and also how African Americans would trudge along if they were completely compliant to the segregation laws. King does have some automatic ethos due to him being known as a well educated and prominent African American figure. In terms of pathos, Martin Luther King Jr. feels disappointed and he wants to call people to action to help solve these injustices in a nonviolent way. Regarding the accusation on the timing of demonstrations, the King states that and so we speedily decided to postpone action until after Election Day (King 2).In this statement, the King is defending his cause of action against the clergy accusations that his actions are not properly timed. WebKing wrote The Letter from Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963 to defend peaceful protests or nonviolent resistance which is the reason he was arrested. ART MISC. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. After learning of the new signs, King decided that there was no other option but to take action for the promise that was, Issues of social justice have affected our society since the beginning of civilization. Webfrom Birmingham Jail. " WebLetter from a Birmingham Jail readers theater is a 2 page script for 8 readers that explains the events leading up to Dr. Martin Luther Kings arrest and subsequent letter, Published quarterly, the journal explores the traditional arenas of rhetorical investigation including executive leadership, diplomacy, political campaigns, judicial and legislative deliberations, and public policy debate. It; Meaning of life; Martin Luther King Jr., with the Rev. We are here 24/7 to write your paper in as fast as 3 hours. Will we be extremists for the preservation of injusticeor will we be extremists for the cause of justice? If I lived in a communist country today where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I believe I would openly advocate disobeying these anti-religious laws. WebWhen reading "Letter from Birmingham Jail" one may notice that Martin Luther King Jr. Used many instances of logos, ethos, pathos, and even Kairos. In our world today, racial prejudice can still shape how people interact with one another, what opportunities individuals are given, and what we see on the news each night.