What Is Mlk Thesis In Letter From Birmingham Jail

In “Letters from Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King Jr. writes a response to statements made by clergymen in which he strongly defends and expresses that his actions and the actions of his followers, were just and reasonable. The letter King writes is from his prison cell in Birmingham jail where he was imprisoned for parading without a permit when representing the Southern Christian Conference. Although King is in an upsetting situation, he does not regret the choices he made, but yet supports them. He mentions how the clergymen claimed that he was acting quickly, he then points out that, “We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights.” (King 91) After King explains that their actions were not rushed,

He speaks about the reasons for his presence in Birmingham, the first of which is his position as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. King says that it was requested that they, “be on call to engage in a non-violent direct action program if such were deemed necessary.” (King 88) He notes that he did not come there on a sudden idea, but rather in response to the request of others. He also illustrates how credible the organizations he is a part of are: “We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.” (King 88) This proves King’s authority; the organization he represents is not small, but rather a part of a larger corporation with strong associates. Also, he acknowledges again his credibility by showing his connection with those who criticized him and that he has as much right to deal with and to speak about the issue as they do. Ethos is also used in the letter when he talks about the many southern states he has visited; he hints that in doing so he has gained a better view of the issues they are facing, and that those with less experience should not face or deal with an issue they do not fully understand. Overall, King uses his everything he knows and his experience, to help the readers see that he has more

King hints that as a citizen he should care about all citizens not just the ones where he lives. The result of this is logical because it causes the reader to understand that they should begin to have the same views of thinking towards the society. He also appeals to the reader’s mind when he debates the difference between the just and unfair laws. “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.” (King 92) This makes a logical appeal between laws; the ones that apply to everyone are fair, while the ones that specifically apply to certain groups are not. With these words, King makes the readers see the process behind how he identified Birmingham’s law as unfair. To back up his thinking for his responses to unfair laws, he shares the events in history when logic almost the same as his own was used. “To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil disobedience. In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience.” (King 93) These were very instrumental moments in history; they brought about much needed change. When talking about these situations, King is comparing his