King's letter was written to address the clergymen. This is made firm at the letter's beginning. He wrote, my dear fellow clergymen. However, he had other audiences in mind. These audiences included religious leaders and followers, political leaders, white moderates, and African Americans. King addressed each audience in a sincere and customary fashion.
The clergymen denounced Kings efforts to fight for freedom and equality. They called his actions "unwise and untimely." King did not make it a habit of responding to such criticisms. He clearly stated, "If I sought to answer all the criticisms that crossed my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work." It is apparent that king had a larger audience in mind by that statement alone. He used the clergymen's adverse comments as grounds to write the letter, and get his point across.
King addressed the religious leaders as if he were delivering a sermon. Biblical examples were given throughout the letter. He spoke of the early Christians who were ready to face hungry lions and the severe pain of chopping blocks rather than accept unjust laws of the Roman Empire. His actions were also called extreme. At first, King was in disagreement. After careful consideration he accepted the label "extremist." He responded, "Was not Jesus and extremist for love: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Yes, King was an extremist. He was a righteous extremist.
Following the religious leaders, there were the political and intellectual leaders. He wanted them to understand that men nor women can remain oppressed. Something needed to be done. The Negro cannot remain frustrated. He stated, "The Negro has many pent up resentments and latent frustrations,and he must release them. So let him march, let him make pilgrimages to the city hall, let him go on freedom rides, and try to understand why he must do so." King's desire for peace was equivalent to his desire for freedom and equality. You cannot have one without the other. The self-purification process was put into action in order to guarantee nonviolent actions. This process included nonviolence workshops. At these workshops they would ask themselves if they could accept physical violence without returning it,and if they were able to patiently tolerate being jailed as a consequence......to be continued
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Thesis Statement
King's letter was written to address the clergymen. This is made firm at the letter's beginning. He wrote, my dear fellow clergymen. However, he had other audiences in mind. These audiences included religious leaders and followers, political leaders, white moderates, and African Americans. King addressed each audience in a sincere and customary fashion.
MLA Citation
Berry, Edward. "Doing Time: King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail"." Rhetoric and Public Affairs 8.1 (2005): 109-132. Web. 18 Feb 2010.
King, Martin L. "Letter From Birmingham Jail." The Martin Luther King, Jr Research and Education Institute . 2010. Stanford University, Web. 25 Feb 2010.
Leff, Michael, and Ebony Utley. "Instrumental and Constitutive Rhetoric in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "A letter from Birmingham Jail"." Rhetoric and Public Affairs 7.1 (2004): 37-52. Web. 18 Feb 2010.
Patton, J.H. “A Transforming Response: Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’.” Rhetoric & Public Affairs 7.1 (2004): 53-66. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.
Sharman, Nick. “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution’: The Rhetorical Strategies of Martin Luther King Jr.” Social Semiotics, 9.1 (1999): 85-105. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.
Snow, Malinda. "Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" as Pauline Epistle." Quarterly Journal of Speech. 71 (1985): 318-334. Print.
Watson, Martha. "The Issue is Justice: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Response to the Birmingham Clergy." Rhetoric & Public Affairs 7.1 (2004): 1-22. Web. 16 Feb 2010.
King, Martin L. "Letter From Birmingham Jail." The Martin Luther King, Jr Research and Education Institute . 2010. Stanford University, Web. 25 Feb 2010.
Leff, Michael, and Ebony Utley. "Instrumental and Constitutive Rhetoric in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "A letter from Birmingham Jail"." Rhetoric and Public Affairs 7.1 (2004): 37-52. Web. 18 Feb 2010.
Patton, J.H. “A Transforming Response: Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’.” Rhetoric & Public Affairs 7.1 (2004): 53-66. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.
Sharman, Nick. “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution’: The Rhetorical Strategies of Martin Luther King Jr.” Social Semiotics, 9.1 (1999): 85-105. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.
Snow, Malinda. "Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" as Pauline Epistle." Quarterly Journal of Speech. 71 (1985): 318-334. Print.
Watson, Martha. "The Issue is Justice: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Response to the Birmingham Clergy." Rhetoric & Public Affairs 7.1 (2004): 1-22. Web. 16 Feb 2010.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Kings five most important accomplishments
1.) King wanted people to understand that in Birmingham there was injustice. He proved that by giving many examples of injustice and mistreatment.
-He quoted "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." King was not comfortable sitting back without worry about what was happening in Birmingham.
-Many stores posted racial signs that were offensive. Promises were made to have them removed and it never took place.
-King had seen mobs lynch parents, drown siblings, colored people were banned from amusement parks and parents had to explain this to their children. King was clearly fed up and it was obvious by the following statement. "There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience."
2.) King was seeking peace and equality. He did not want any misunderstanding of that. For that reason, he took certain steps to prevent violence in his movement.
-Had a self-purification process to make sure they were ready to accept violence against them without reacting in the same way. During the process they held nonviolence workshops. The workshops prepared them to accept being assaulted without defense, and prepared them for being incarcerated.
-Felt nonviolent tension was imperative for change to take place.
3.) King made others understand the reason behind his actions and gave valid reasons.
-He was asked by an affiliate in Birmingham to become involved in the nonviolent direct action program if it became necessary, and he agreed.
-"But ,more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here" (ML King)....referenced prophets of the eighth century B.C. The apostle Paul left his village and carried the gospel of Jesus to the Romans. King felt it was his calling to carry the gospel of freedom beyond his hometown.
-"Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue." (ML King)....King was tired of waiting and being ignored.
4.) King was extremely grateful to the white's that supported the movement.
-" I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in the south have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it." (ML King)
-These white supporters marched with blacks and endured the the same punishments. They were even referred to as "dirty nigger lovers."
-"Unlike so many of their moderate brothers and sisters, they have recognized the urgency of the moment and sensed the need for powerful "action" antidotes to combat the disease of segregation."
5.) King believed the black church had a major impact on nonviolence.
-" I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle."
-Believed that southern streets would have been flowing with blood if there was no positive support from the black church.
-He quoted "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." King was not comfortable sitting back without worry about what was happening in Birmingham.
-Many stores posted racial signs that were offensive. Promises were made to have them removed and it never took place.
-King had seen mobs lynch parents, drown siblings, colored people were banned from amusement parks and parents had to explain this to their children. King was clearly fed up and it was obvious by the following statement. "There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience."
2.) King was seeking peace and equality. He did not want any misunderstanding of that. For that reason, he took certain steps to prevent violence in his movement.
-Had a self-purification process to make sure they were ready to accept violence against them without reacting in the same way. During the process they held nonviolence workshops. The workshops prepared them to accept being assaulted without defense, and prepared them for being incarcerated.
-Felt nonviolent tension was imperative for change to take place.
3.) King made others understand the reason behind his actions and gave valid reasons.
-He was asked by an affiliate in Birmingham to become involved in the nonviolent direct action program if it became necessary, and he agreed.
-"But ,more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here" (ML King)....referenced prophets of the eighth century B.C. The apostle Paul left his village and carried the gospel of Jesus to the Romans. King felt it was his calling to carry the gospel of freedom beyond his hometown.
-"Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue." (ML King)....King was tired of waiting and being ignored.
4.) King was extremely grateful to the white's that supported the movement.
-" I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in the south have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it." (ML King)
-These white supporters marched with blacks and endured the the same punishments. They were even referred to as "dirty nigger lovers."
-"Unlike so many of their moderate brothers and sisters, they have recognized the urgency of the moment and sensed the need for powerful "action" antidotes to combat the disease of segregation."
5.) King believed the black church had a major impact on nonviolence.
-" I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle."
-Believed that southern streets would have been flowing with blood if there was no positive support from the black church.
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