“Letter from a Birmingham Jail” Dr. Martin Luther

In his Letter from a Birmingham Jail Dr. Martin Luther pansy jr. ch anyenges the preconceived notions of his match clergymen and grapples that in judge anywhere is a threat to thoice everywhere. ( ability, 1963). Dr. tycoon had been chastised by a number of clergy in Birmingham as an external agitator stirring up trouble in their city. Early on, he explained his radical that no citizen of the joined States can be considered an agitator when protesting or acting with regard to something else happening with the countrys borders. Furthermore, King argues that what happens in Birmingham affects Atlanta and Washington, D.C. and New York City. In many ways, he was arguing the idea of globalization and world conscious long before they became buzz wrangle and the way of the world. King argued that as a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference he had no option other than to debate for social justness throughout the South.After justifying himself to the other clergy, K ing explains why the demonstrations for which he was arrested argon taking place in Birmingham. In gentle rebuke, he points out that the clergymen have condemned the conditions that resulted because of the protest but have never taken cartridge clip to rebuke the conditions that required the demonstrations take place. Birmingham is probably the most soundly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of barbarousness is widely known. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case, King wrote (King 1963).Despite those conditions, leadership within the African American community approached city leaders attempting to find a path to social justice via the law. They were humored and strung along by the establishment, but never did the city try to make any good faith effort to try to change the conditions. And, at the time of Kings letter, being born an African American in Alabama in general and Birmingham in particular virtually guaranteed a lack of rights. Then, last September, came the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birminghams economic community. In the course of the negotiations, certain promises were make by the merchants for example, to remove the stores humiliating racial signs. On the basis of these promises, the Reverend Fred Shuttles worth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights agreed to a moratorium on all demonstrations. As the weeks and months went by, we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise. A few signs, briefly removed, returned the others remained. (King, 1963).The signs were the loose racism inherent in Birmingham, but the roots in the piece went such(prenominal) deeper. African Americans were consistently denied the right to vote, sometimes to the point that in counties where the majority of the popul ation was black, not a single African American was registered to vote. King argues clearly that these maneuvers to hold quite a little back from racial par were often being done within the confines of the law and that was a problem in and of it.He further argues that taking direct bodily function leave behind spur the community toward negotiation and an effort to change. Nonviolent direct proceeding seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a accent that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. (King, 1963) If no action is taken, King agues, then the status quo does not change. People are not prompted to change, or even to negotiate for improvement if there is no impetus for their effort.The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore keep with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved South destroy been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue. (King, 1963). It is important to note that throughout his call to action, King reiterates that the direct actions should be non-violent designed to make people uncomfortable and chip daily routines, not aggressive or threatening.He functions complaints that the protest came too presently after a city election for the youthfully elected organization to have any impact on the old ways. The problem with time lag for someone to take action is that you are always waiting and vigor changes. The only answer that I can give to this query is that the new Birmingham administration must be prodded about as much as the outgoing one, before it will act. We are sadly mistaken if we retrieve that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor. will bring the millennium to Birmingham.While Mr. Boutwell is a much more gentle person than Mr. Connor, they are both separationismists, dedicated to sustainment of the status quo. (King, 1963). King points to the emerging nations of the world, able to fight for their freedom from compound oppressors and get it, and then remarks at the horse and buggy pace the United States is making within her own borders to promote equality (King, 1963). Perhaps it is late for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say, Wait.(King, 1963)He justifies his actions in terms of the law. This is perhaps the most powerful of Kings arguments outside the I Have a Dream speech. It sets the tone for his by and by throw and justifies the Civil Rights Movement in one fell swoop. Since we so diligently urge people to ensue the Supreme Courts decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, at first glance it may seem rather paradoxical for us consciously to break laws.One may won ask How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others? The answer lies in the fact that there fi re two types of laws just and unjust. I would be the Brat to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral certificate of indebtedness to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that an unjust law is no law at all (King, 1963).In this short passage, King makes an eloquent and accurate plea for civil noncompliance and encourages people to take the action needed to make a going away with regard to changing the law. His argument is that sometimes the law is simply so unjust that if a person does not take radical action to change the law, he is supporting injustice.The idea that a law could be justly applied but be inherently unjust was illogical, he argued. An unjust law is a edict that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority compels a mi nority to conjoin and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal. (King, 1963).He further argues that the type of civil disobedience he is recommending was first practiced in biblical times by Shadrach and his compatriots when they approach the lions den rather than renouncing their faith. He then goes on to chastise the church leadership for their inaction and lack of support for the African American community. Let me take note of my other major disappointment. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. (King, 1963). He argues that the church should in supporting core Christian values work toward the development of equality for all people and that in failing to do so they have ignored their Christian duty.Kings letter was mean as an answer to critics, a reply to those who did not understand the earth of the Southern African American and the way that they were being discriminated against. Instead, it served as an abstract for social justice and for achieving equality. By detailing how and why people of warp and white Americans should stand together to fight for equality, he took the effort for equality out of the streets and back alleys to the headlines.His definitions regarding an unjust law made the difference philosophically and religiously for many people. Many people who had previously considered themselves good people suddenly found that they could no longer hide behind the virtue of the situation. Instead, King forced them to take the issue of equality to heart and intend of it from their conscious and not just from the law. They were no longer able to argue that it was okay by the law so that must make it right. King found the right words to explain that equality was everyones responsibility and that unless people were willing to work for justice, no one would have it.Thesis In his Letter from a Birmingham Jail Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. challenges the preconceived notions of his fellow c lergymen and argues that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. (King, 1963OutlineLetter from a Birmingham JailI. Summary and historical contextII. why Birmingham?a. Worst racism in the Southb. Negotiation failedc. New leadership might mean an opportunity for change.III. Why direct action?a. Civil disobedience draws attentionb. Unjust laws should not be obeyedc. Christian history of actionIV. ConclusionKings letter was intended as an answer to critics, a reply to those who did not understand the reality of the Southern African American and the way that they were being discriminated against. Instead, it served as an outline for social justice and for achieving equality.