In his 1963 “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. Martin Luther King Junior essentially states that “Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than misunderstanding from people of ill will.” This quote by Dr. King is extremely true, and relative to anyone. His quote’s understanding is hard for anyone to see on the surface, but after taking a while to realize its meaning, it makes sense why the quote is considered famous. Understanding the quote begins with breaking down the entire sentence. “Shallow understanding…” represents the basic knowledge, or foundation that people teach to one another. Then the “people of good will… (and) people of ill will” represent people with good morals, versus those without those good morals, and rather oppose it. The …show more content…
King faced. During his time, he was famous for being a civil rights activist. He would meet many people, who specifically to understand the quote would be Christian people, or people of a faith similar to his, which represent the people of good will, and discriminating people who were against him, or people of ill will. The reason he says that it is more frustrating to have shallow understanding from people of good will is due to the fact that many Christians, which Dr. King considered his brothers and sisters, did nothing to help in the civil rights movement. They would stay on the sidelines, watching what was happening to Dr. King’s people, of them being beaten and not being given their natural born rights. It was then that Dr. King must had come up with this concept that it was frustrating to see people who had similar beliefs to him, and were claiming to be loving to others would watch on the sideline, even though they had a “shallow understanding” of
Dr. King’s response to the Clergymen’s statements seems to “just” their “unjust assumptions. Starting with Dr. King using his authority of being a person of color; while the Clergymen have legal authority they do not have racial authority. The Clergymen have not experienced the racial prejudice that Martin Luther King and the black community have. Martin Luther King uses examples such as “When you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children.” (page 176 paragraph 14)
Others might say all leaders are rebels because they perform illegal actions to get what they want. For example, King, Martin Luther Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, states, “But I am sure that if I had lived in Germany during this time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers even though it was illegal.” This means Mr.King would’ve helped unexplored Jews in Hitler 's Germany even if it meant going against the law. This shows Mr.King, a leader representing rebellion as he states he wouldn 't have a problem braking authority. Nevertheless not all leaders are rebels.
He depicts that you have to be either for something or against it. Martin Luther King Jr. is saying that people who are against something, but aren’t compassionate enough to do something about it frustrate him. In dealing with the absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will, one can be certain of their welcome and be prepared for their actions. However, with lukewarm acceptance one cannot be certain of the stability of their actions. Dr. King is saying that he cannot understand people who do not really care much about the issue of racism.
Stand Up For What is Right From a young age, people are told to be kind to others, no matter what they look like. Some, white people, though believed that they were superior to the African Americans so they did not have to be kind to them. This is when the issue of inequality between different races arose and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. took action. Dr. King was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1954 through 1968. He wrote the famous, “I Have a Dream” speech and the “Letter From Birmingham Jail”.
Response to “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. In Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, he responded to statements written in a Birmingham newspaper that criticized his actions in the city. He undermined these disapprovals by explaining his belief in nonviolent direct action. King also went on to give opinions on other topics, such as, the lack of support from white moderates and white churches. He used technique and structure to develop his ideas and justify his methods.
I believe that paragraphs 9 and 12 from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” are the strongest paragraphs in this letter of his. These paragraph is so profound and truly explain why segregation is unjust in two short paragraphs. They don’t go into a lot of detail on why segregation is unjust, because they don’t need to. They’re argument is strong enough with how short they are. Since these paragraphs give an easy to understand and short reasoning as to why segregation is unjust, explains what makes a law just or unjust, and show that just laws can be unjust when applied to situations such as segregation, I believe they are the strongest paragraphs in this letter.
Martin Luther King, Jr. attempts to persuade clergymen to follow in his civil rights movement through exhibiting his knowledge over just and unjust laws, displaying peaceful behavior, and empathetic diction. King was very knowledgeable about laws and his right as a human. King stated laws in his letter to the clergymen, which displayed his credibility. He did not only state laws, he also stated just and unjust laws. King stated, “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?”
In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. is responding to accusations made by eight Alabama clergymen. He asserts that his actions, and the actions of his followers were just and reasonable. He notes that the clergymen claimed he was acting too hastily but King explains that their actions were not hasty. He backs up his actions with persuasive argument and reasoning. He points out ways that others actions have been unjust and immoral.
“Letter from Jail” On April 16, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter to the eight clergymen while he was incarcerated. Dr. King wrote this letter to address one of the biggest issues in Birmingham, Alabama and other areas within the United States. The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” discussed the great injustices that were happening during that time towards the black community. Dr. King wanted everyone to have the same equal rights as the white community, he also went into further details about the struggles that African Americans were going through for so many years, which he felt like it could change. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, expressed his beliefs and his actions about the Human Rights Movement.
Civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr, in his Letter from Birmingham City Jail, argues against criticism from eight Alabama clergymen, and addresses their concerns. He defends his position, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), against accusations of disturbing the peace in Birmingham, as well as explaining his values and opinions. Throughout the letter, King adopts a strong logical and credible tone, and reinforces his position through the use of strong emotional justifications, in order to appeal to the clergymen and defend his public image. Martin Luther King opens up his Letter from Birmingham City Jail by appealing to the clergymen's emotions, and assuring his peaceful response, which he describes in "patient and
Martin Luther King Jr. was a strong leader in the Civil Rights movement, the son and grandson of a minister, and one heck of a letter writer. As he sits in a cell of Birmingham Jail in 1963, he responds to criticism from eight white clergymen. Though this letter was intended for the judgemental and condescending men of high faith, his response touched the hearts and minds of the entire U.S. population, then, and for years to come. In his tear-jerking, mind-opening letter, King manages to completely discredit every claim made by the clergymen while keeping a polite and formal tone. Metaphors, allusions, and rhetorical questions are used in the most skillful way to support his argument and ultimately convince his audience of the credibility behind his emotional, yet factual, claims.
In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led a peaceful movement in Birmingham, Alabama. The purpose of the demonstration was to bring awareness and end to racial disparity in Birmingham. Later that night, King and his followers were detained by city authorities. While in custody, King wrote the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This letter voiced out his disappointment in the criticisms, and oppositions that the general public and clergy peers obtained.
A Letter From Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr. is a name that will never be forgotten, and that will go down in the books for all of time. He was foremost a civil rights activist throughout the 1950s and 1960s. during his lifetime, which lasted from January of 1929 to April of 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and a social activist and was known for his non- violent protests. He believed that all people, no matter the color, have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws and to take a direct action rather than waiting forever for justice to come through and finally be resolved. In the Spring of 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stated in a speech that Birmingham was among one of the most segregated cities in the world.
The principles King lays out rest in our hylemorphic nature: our innate ability to reason objectively so as to lead our emotions, our ability to ascertain whether the human law squares with the moral and eternal law, and our vocation to be pursuers of divine wisdom. As Martin Luther King, Jr. launches his letter, he deliberately sets a “patient and reasonable” tone, thereby, establishing a firm philosophical
In this quote, Dr. King explains that if you lack the ability to forgive someone for hurting you, then you lack the ability to love. If you build up a grudge against someone it will be a burden on your life, and it will make your life much harder. Martin Luther King lived by the ethical belief of forgiveness. There are many examples, like when he was jailed for eleven days, or when his house was burned down by angry white Americans. Even after all of the hardships, he was still able to preach and speak of forgiveness and love, especially for your enemies.