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¶ … Letter from the Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr., and "A Letter from the Clergy" by some leading spiritual clergy in Birmingham, Alabama. Specifically, it will summarize the two letters. Both of these letters provide compelling reasons for what the authors believe in, and they are both very persuasive and convincing in their own way.
The clergymen believe that King's actions, in creating a march that led to many arrests (including King's own arrest), is the wrong way to attempt to gain civil right for black Americans. They believe that these measures are "extreme" and not necessary for the circumstances. They write, "We also point out that such actions to incite such hatred and violence, however technically peaceful these actions might be, have not contributed to the resolution of our local problems" (Miller 486). This is persuasive for a number of reasons. First, the clergy note that even peaceful marches can end up in violence and hatred,...
Thus, they use positive and negative in their argument, seeking to convince both sides of their argument, and then they speak directly to the black community to not support the demonstrations and to work peacefully, through the courts, to win their rights.
It is clear these clergymen feel that King is an outside dissident who is bringing trouble to the city of Birmingham. They list their arguments, offer a solution they think works, and write a compelling letter asking for support of their ideas. This is a very persuasive letter, but it did not gain the support they had hoped, largely because of King's lengthy response in his "Letter from the Birmingham Jail."
King's letter is very famous and it gained notoriety from the time it first appeared. The letter is a response to the letter from the clergy, and it directly and eloquently answers the criticisms…
References
Miller, Robert Keith. Motives for Writing With Student Access to Catalyst. New York: McGraw Hill, 2005.
Coatesville" John Jay Chapman "The Letter Birmingham Jail" Martin Luther Deeply Disillusioned The United States of America has meant a wide variety of things to several different people, particularly to those who have had to call its shores home. The initial promise of this land -- as one of redemption, as a place where the lofty ideas engraved within such documents as the Bill of Rights and the Constitution have never
"In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty." In that argument, the author also draws a comparison with those most committed to maintaining segregation; presumably, he was referring to those who physically attacked and sometimes killed both African-Americans and
Well crafted sentence explaining how the two text evidences show your point of analysis: In his use of metaphors, King poetically dramatizes the length of time African-Americans have struggled for full civil equality, in response to the white ministers' demand that he be patient, moderate, and not 'push' Southern whites to change too quickly. Third Point of Analysis: King, to address the specific allegations of the white ministers uses rhetorical questions
He knew that racial divides could be conquered as long as men remained rational. King's appeal to authority, or ethos, emerges when he states it was "was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake . . . To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil
Abstract This paper serves as a letter from Birmingham jail analysis essay. It first gives background information on the Birmingham Campaign and why King was there in the first place. Then it proceeds to discuss the reason he wrote his letter, which was a public response to public criticism he received from eight white Southern preachers. The analysis examines the letter itself and shows how King used various arguments and persuasive
He clarifies his status i.e. A spiritual leader and a learned person by using well chosen ethos of St. Aquinas, Jesus and Paul therefore puts him forth as a trustworthy person. Also being an African-American makes him the right person to participate in this event because he understands the situation properly. By use of logos he explains the reason behind the actions of the black persons of which the