Martin Luther King’s (Mlk) “Letter from Birmingham Jail”...

Kyle McCrite Ms. Vaughn English 102-01 14 September 2009 Someone Else’s Shoes Martin Luther King’s (MLK) â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† was written in 1963 as a response to the Eight Alabama Clergymen’s public statement against King’s actions in April of that year. Martin Luther King Jr. was an activist for desegregation of the south in the early 1960s and overcame much adversity to attain incredible gains on the segregation issue in the United States. King uses effective persuasive appeals of logical evidence, emotional appeal, and author credibility to win over his audience in â€Å"The Letter from Birmingham Jail.† MLK’s writing shows the effects of segregation in Birmingham with clear direct language and heart wrenching examples.†¦show more content†¦King brings in the question, what is a just and unjust law? A just law is one that promotes good morals and is followed by both the majority as well as the minority of society. Martin Luther King Jr. defines an unjust law as: A human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law†¦ Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality (658). MLK even covers the fact that some laws are just on the surface, but unjust in how they are enforced. The example of his imprisonment proves this statement. He was arrested for parading without a permit, but this is an unjust law because it promotes segregation and denies basic constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly (659). He uses these soulful explanations of just and unjust laws trying to appeal to his readers’ emotions, though the notion of just and unjust laws may seem logical to them as well. Just and unjust laws may be considered logical evidence as well as emotional, but Martin Luther King Jr. uses a few much better logical examples to convince the audience to see his point of view. His logical examples of moral wrongdoings include strong emotion and cold harsh facts. Birmingham’s history of cruel segregation is well known and possibly the most segregated city in the United States. There were more â€Å"unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches inShow MoreRelatedMlk Rhetorical Analysis Essay example1178 Words   |  5 PagesRhetorical Analysis on Martin Luther King Junior’s Letter from Birmingham Jail In Martin Luther King Junior’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, MLK uses ethos, logos, and pathos powerfully and effectively to present his argument that the discrimination of African Americans all over the country is unbearable and should be outlawed forever. King wrote the letter in Birmingham, Alabama after a peaceful protest against segregation which was King’s way of reinforcing his belief that without forceful, directRead MoreLetter From A Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.920 Words   |  4 PagesIn his â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail,† Martin Luther King Jr. makes appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos to convince the clergymen that colored people have been waiting for too long for political, economic, and social justice and freedom. He argues that it’s unfair to promise someone, or a group, for a change and not fulfill that promise. Along with demonetizing and/or belittling a person to the point where they don’t feel as important or a s worth as they should; making them feel hatred and angerRead MoreNonviolent Protests: An argumentative essay1411 Words   |  6 Pages From the Boston Tea Party of 1773, the Civil Rights Movement and the Pro-Life Movement of the 1960s, to the Tea Party Movement and Occupy Wall Street Movement of current times, â€Å"those struggling against unjust laws have engaged in acts of deliberate, open disobedience to government power to uphold higher principles regarding human rights and social justice† (DeForrest, 1998, p. 653) through nonviolent protests. Perhaps the most well-known of the non-violent protests are those associated with theRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement : Martin Luther King, Jr. And Rosa Parks1546 Words   |  7 Pagesstruggle. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks are often the figures that get the most recognition from this period. However, there are many leaders from the Civil Rights Movement that get overlooked. Even MLK toward the end of his life is glo ssed over for the â€Å"version† that gave the famous â€Å"I have a dream† speech. In truth, there was a fair amount of division between the Black Power Movement and the Integration Movement. Two famous leaders of these movements include Stokely Carmichael from SNCC and