Joey Buckley
3-01-10
Response to Birmingham Letter
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birmingham letter had a great affect on the African American community. Martin Luther showed his race and people that being jailed isn’t the end of the world. He also showed that it was unfair that he was arrested for his non violence protesting. It was also a great accomplishment for him to reach out to the African American people even why he was imprisioned. He was trying to express to his people that the battle against racial segregation should be fought solely in the courts and not in the streets. King also responded is in his letter that without non violence complete equality could not and would not be reached. He stated that African Americans need to follow the laws to show and save their own composure. King also compares his fight and leadership of civil rights to biblical figures like Jesus. He compares his journey to his and others throughout his letter. This just shows how important this letter was to him.
In response to criticism from eight clergymen of Birmingham, King details the process of preparation for the nonviolent protest that took place in Birmingham. Imprisoned for protesting without a license, Dr. King's words continue to reach far beyond the bars of his prison in his letter from Birmingham jail. Martin Luther King addresses the concerns and criticisms of his fellow clergymen, explaining why the African-American population of our nation cannot always be expected to "wait" for a more appropriate time to voice their concerns. He shows this by stating "Justice too long delayed is justice denied." Dr. King's wisdom is a well-known and well-cherished part of American history. Reading his words have cemented my admiration for his methods and his ideas. In "Letter from Birmingham Jail" he exposes the hypocrisy of the South and expresses his willingness to break an unjust law to pave the way for a just one. In case peacefully going to jail for his protests isn't a...