ipl-logo

Martin Luther King's Changing Views

1102 Words5 Pages

From birth we are taught a certain set of morals, values and what is acceptable. Trying to change these views is never easy because we as humans are hardwired to never want to admit that what we think could be wrong. Look at societal changes as a whole; every major change that has occurred has come with resistance, each time change has been presented in this country we have tried to completely re-educate a society that has no interest in changing their views. This is why change does not come quickly but one man, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, had a mission. He wanted to bring the segregated people together to live in equality. Facing others’ views of the situation as “unwise and untimely,” let’s face it, people are afraid of change. There will …show more content…

The following are historical events that were “unwise and untimely” and the amount of time it took for each of them to be addressed; suffrage 72 years, gay marriage 91 years, segregation 340 years. How long are we able as human beings to keep our citizens from their rights? King realized the intensity of the situation at hand so when the clergymen told King this was the wrong time for change to come about, I felt within his words the urgency that there is never going to be a correct time to bring about change. The following are two of King’s quotes and even though they are separate quotes, you can feel his train of thought flow when read together. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy… Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase (BrainyQuote).” Based on reading this quote King realizes that taking the first step onto this battle field will not be the last, but even in the face of diversity you have to continue to stand up and fight. There is no better time to start bringing about this change because “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King 1). When reading this quote King’s position on inequality seems obvious. King cannot stand to see even one person suffer, but to see an entire segment of the population being degraded and stripped of their natural born rights is

Show More
Related

  • Nonviolent Protest In Martin Luther King's A Letter From Birmingham Jail

    533 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this letter King is defending his born right to use strategies of nonviolent resistance against racism. If every African American

    Read More

  • Summary Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

    672 Words  | 3 Pages

    He explains "We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional God given rights." He uses overstatement to emphasize God's word should dictate how society is run, but unfortunately he and his black brethren are still suffering from the effects of racism established long ago. King illustrates "The teachings of Christ take time to come to earth such an attitude of misconception of time, from the strangly irrational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will incapably cure all ills. " King also says "Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively." He alludes to Christ to appeal emotionally to the reader and to show that time is everything when trying to settle a racial dispute.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

    541 Words  | 3 Pages

    The clergymen stated that King's direct actions were untimely and suggested negotiations, but King further explains that negotiations fail, but direct action raises tension, which "is necessary for growth" (King 701). King states that he, and the black community are tired of waiting for change, "Justice too long delayed is justice denied" (King 701). That is why King pushes direct action. King then acknowledges the difference between just and unjust laws. In the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, King comments, "Any law that uplifts human personality is just.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Letter From Birmingham Jail And Antigone

    1117 Words  | 5 Pages

    King is personally more compelling, including the way he addresses his opposers and his objective and rationale that require civil disobedience. King’s reason for his fight was for the equal rights of all wronged by the unmerited laws that were in place during the time in the United States. At the end of his letter he said, “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.” (Paragraph 39) showing his goal for the future and what he was striving for. Throughout his letter he never tries to be condescending towards the clergymen, to whom he is addressing this letter, instead laying the facts out in the letter as unprejudiced as possible, because he knows the clergymen and those against his cause will be trying to find things that are untrue.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

    939 Words  | 4 Pages

    King also takes great length t0 distinguish between just and unjust laws. He describes “ Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality ” (par. 16). He shares all this in hopes that the clergymen and others will understand that it is morally incorrect for segregation to be practiced because everyone should be treated equally. Finally, King tells them “I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth concerning time in relation to the struggle for freedom” (par. 26).

    Read More

  • Comparing Dr. King's Speech To Today

    229 Words  | 1 Pages

    I can relate Dr. King’s speech to today because we still wish for a better future where race isn’t a problem. Our racial problems now don’t compare to the problems of the past, but there still is a long way to go. Fifty years later, there are still people who assume that a person’s race defines who they are, what they do, and what they’re good at. There are still so many restrictions in everyday life because of race. Dr. King’s dream has not yet become reality, but we are still working for it every day.

    Read More

  • The Changes Of Segregation By Martin Luther King Jr.

    262 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Changes of Segregation “I have a dream” Martin Luther King Jr.. MLK jr. protested on how African Americans (blacks) were treated, for example they couldn’t go to certain place without getting arrested or beaten up. Without Martin, Kids wouldn’t be able to go to school, parents get jobs, or even go out in some public places without getting arrested! How would it feel if someone couldn’t go to school just because of what color skin he/she had?

    Read More

  • Identity In Letter From Birmingham Jail

    251 Words  | 2 Pages

    We live in a world with currently many conflicts from the racial disparity in high incarceration rates to gun violence and the war over gun rights. In his letter, King describes that Black Americans have no identity and that the oppressed cannot remain oppressed forever. King implies that they cannot be told to “wait for justice” because if they simply

    Read More

  • Comparing The Life And Works Of Martin Luther King Jr.

    545 Words  | 3 Pages

    A civil rights leader Mahatma Gandhi once wrote, " The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others," ;however, I disagree. Martin Luther King Jr. has played a major role in our history, and if it was not for all the boycotts, nonviolence protest, and speeches we would not be where we are today. Before he could offer the world his services and have us believe in him, he had to know exactly who he was as a person, what he wanted to stand for, and believe in his self before the world could. Knowing yourself before giving to others is very important, besides losing yourself in something you "love" doing can be a dangerous game. Most people would say that your preteen and teenage years are your experimenting years.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Logos In Letter From Birmingham Jail

    468 Words  | 2 Pages

    He argues that African Americans have been oppressed for centuries and that change is long overdue. He states “for years now i have heard the word ‘wait’ and it rings in the ear of every negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘wait’ has almost meant' ‘never’' and that “all segregation is unjustifiable because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality.” By using this argument, King shows that the civil rights movement is not moving too fast, but rather that it is moving too

    Read More

  • Argumentative Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail

    563 Words  | 3 Pages

    MLK’s ultimate claim is that the church is to blame for these happenings and “the judgement of God is upon the Church as never before”(276). King stated how even the people who were in the church trying to fight for justice had been looked down upon and some had been kicked out of their own churches. King’s claims were passionately presented. He relentlessly provided evidence to prove his position on the issue of injustice and also showed ample amounts of examples to solve these problems.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King's Influence On Society

    840 Words  | 4 Pages

    Indira Gandhi, the first and only female prime minister of India, once said, "Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave." While bravery has been seen as positive by society for millennia, our view of forgiveness and gentleness has certainly changed. And just as our values are dynamic, our heroes change as well--from Theseus, who mercilessly tortured villains, to Martin Luther King Jr., who advocated nonviolence despite being in a world filled with the opposite. Society shapes heroes because they adapt to our needs therefore evolving with our culture.

    Read More

  • How Did Martin Luther King Jr Use Words To Change The World

    732 Words  | 3 Pages

    To change the world, one must use their words to give the sense that the change is for the better. Speeches by the leaders that influence today’s society and those who came before have been able to cause emotions in the people who listen or read them. To be able to make people feel things with your words is a skill necessary for those who want to change the world. Martin Luther King Jr. is a great example of someone who used their words and ability to make people feel to make a change that impacted the whole world. Words are a very powerful weapon that can be used to provoke, calm, and inspire change.

    Read More

  • How Martin Luther King Changed The World

    211 Words  | 1 Pages

    Martin Luther KIng A guy who died because his beliefs changed the world, who decide to fight for his rights and the rights of his people, A guy who changed the world using non-violence as the main attack but why he is most valuable person? Martin Luther King born in January 15, 1929 he is famous because he changed the world in a different way, he changed the world using protest non-violent and giving peaches around the United States, One of his most well known speeches s named “I Got A Dream”. In October 14 Martin LUther King won the Nobel Prize In the field of humans rights, this make him more famous around the world , and the impact that made in society was tremendous, 4 years later Martin Luther KIng wa assassinated by a white racist american.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King Jr.: Unification In Society

    824 Words  | 4 Pages

    Unification in Society Martin Luther King Jr. is a popular figure who is known for his speech “I Have A Dream”, which is based on racial equality in the mid-20th century. Martin Luther King Jr. uses his words to persuade the end of discrimination without using the use of violence. This speech had a substantial effect on the world, because many people were inspired by his use of figurative language relating to everything. He used poetic devices to connect with his audience’s emotion, they were already unified to perceive his opinions on discrimination.

    Read More

More about Martin Luther King's Changing Views

Open Document