Segregation is Injustice to All - 1415 Words

â€Å"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere† (1). This is part of what Martin Luther King Jr., the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, wrote on April 16, 1963, as a message for his nonviolence resistance to racism in â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail.† This letter was written about King’s concern and response to the unjust laws of segregation that the clergymen issued while in jail for his nonviolent protest against segregation. However, the underlying objective of this letter was to inform the public about racism and their moral responsibility to break unjust laws. In order to capture the reader’s attention, King uses rhetoric, â€Å"the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing† (Merriam-Webster Online). The main rhetoric technique he uses is the three modes of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos, which are also known as Aristotle’s Rhetorical Appeals. By effectively using technique throughout the letter, King is able to appeal to his audiences’ logical, emotional, and spiritual side through the use of American and biblical figures, children, and language choice to create a powerful and moving piece of writing in â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail.† King’s first attempt to capture his audience’s attention is through his ethical appeal as a way to strengthen his authority, credibility, and reliability in the letter. In the first paragraph, King mentions, â€Å"If I sought to answer all of the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would beShow MoreRelatedMartin Luther King Junior ( Mlk )1503 Words   |  7 PagesMartin Luther King Junior (MLK) was a preacher, clergyman, and a powerful speaker who started the end to the black and white segregation in 1960s America. He created many heartfelt and sincere speeches, and his use of literary techniques developed his ideas and political and social concerns. His skills were most evident in such speeches as â€Å"I Have a Dream† (IHD), â€Å"Eulogy for the Martyred Children† (EMC) and his final speech â€Å"I ve Been to the Mountaintop† (IBM). In these speeches MLK expressed hisRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr Speech968 Words   |  4 Pagesprotest the injustice that were occurring. Martin Luther King Jr. was not a violent man, he was dedicated and passionate about the fair treatment of everyone. He was called to Birmingham to help provide a peaceful demonstration. However, he was arrested and put in a Birmingham City Jail because he tried to stand up for his fellow African Americans. While in jail he wrote an essay where he talked about injustice, morals, rights, just laws and unjust laws. He had seen segregation, injustice, and racialRead MoreArgumentative Analysis Of Martin Luther King982 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican of â€Å"injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,’ that the ‘stinging darts’ of segregation have made it impossible to wait any longer for freedom† (King 136) Dr. King tells the clergymen that he was upset about their criticisms, on how nonviolent resistance to racism were not â€Å"unwise† or â€Å"untimely†. In his letter, King used the ele ments of Aristotle and engages them with the practical reasoning process of the audience to persuade the clergymen to act on the injustice that is happeningRead MoreEthics And Religion : Ethics1045 Words   |  5 Pagesletter King wrote while in Jail, he used both ethics and religious beliefs too stress the importance of his actions against the injustice in Birmingham. King arrived in Birmingham because individuals of the black community were being oppressed by the continued segregation; which was against the law by this time. As King states in his letter, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the weight century B.C. left their villages and carried their â€Å"thus saith the Lord† far beyondRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr.s Letter From Birmingham Jail847 Words   |  4 PagesAlabama and addresses their concerns and questions as to why he is even in Birmingham. King Jr. uses facts of non-violent efforts, previous work, and life accomplishments, and strong mental images to show the severe racial injustice in Birmingham. The severe injustice of segregation in Birmingham needs to end abruptly so the races can live among each other peacefully. One way, Martin Luther King Jr. attempts to persuade the clergymen is through explaining his purpose and previous work accomplishmentsRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis1136 Words   |  5 Pageshis desk with disagreements and criticism of his acts of attempting to abolish segregation. To give a better understanding to his audience he correlates his speech with religion, signifying himself to be similar to the Apostle Paul, while speaking up about the injustice being done in Birmingham. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks strongly about being unable to stand back and watch the disputes in Birmingham unravel. â€Å"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable networkRead MoreMoral Responsibility1256 Words   |  6 Pagespast through harsh laws of segregation. Although many believe disobeying the law is morally wrong and if disobeyed a punishment should follow, Martin Luther King’s profound statement, â€Å"One has the moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws† (King 420) leads to greater justice for all which is also supported by King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† Jefferson’s â€Å" The Declaration of Independence,† and Lincoln’s â€Å"Second Inaugural Address.† I am in Birmingham because injustice is here, wrote Dr. MartinRead MoreGrade 10 English - King vs Orwell Essay1633 Words   |  7 PagesMany Colours, One World , One Approach to Injustice The essays â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† by George Orwell and the Letter From Birmingham Jail† by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. share several similarities, particularly in terms of the authors recognition of injustice in their respective communities. There are striking similarities between their causes despite Orwell being of British descent and part of the caucasian majority while Dr. King was from the United States of America and was part of theRead More A Revolution of Values: The Promise of Multicultural Essay1058 Words   |  5 PagesRevolution of Values: The Promise of Multicultural Change Bell Hooks was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky in 1952. She was born into the era of segregation and was in high school during the start of civil rights movements. Since Hook’s was a young African American that attended one of the first integrated high schools, she experienced racism and segregation first hand. Her writing explains how it was to live during these times and also exhibits how her experiences effected her emotionally. Hook’s essayRead MoreDr. Martin Luther King Jr s Speech970 Words   |  4 PagesBirmingham Jail was written from jail after he was shortly arrested for attempting to share his views with clergymen on this racial injustice. Dr. King delivered his I Have a Dream Speech at a crucial Civil Rights rally across from the Washington Memorial. Both times he was trying to send the same message to the American people: Black Americans will no longer allow social injustices. In both works he employs figurative language and appeals. Accordingly, in Letters from Birmingham Jail, Dr. King addresses