letter from birmingham jail soapstone quizlet

All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department. The letter served as a tangible, reproducible account of the long road to freedom in a movement that was largely centered around actions and spoken words. Similarly, the passage slyly integrates the stakes of inaction into its construction. How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists. Arguing that time is "neutral," Dr. King illustrates the importance of individual action. I began thinking about the fact that I stand in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community. ", "One of the basic points in your statement" through "I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Letter from birmingham jail summary. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiorityThus it is that I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong., Dr. King has an impressive ability to veer between logos (appeal to logic) and pathos (appeal to emotion), sometimes within the same argument. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. A few signs, briefly removed, returned; the others remained. Thus, a moral man cannot simply suffer those laws because they are the law. You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. Rhetorical Analysis of "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" How Stoicism Supports Civil Disobedience Nourished by the Negros frustration over the continued existence of racial discrimination, this movement is made up of people who have lost faith in America, who have absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man is an incorrigible devil.. For years now I have heard the word Wait! It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. Their witness has been the spiritual salt that has preserved the true meaning of the gospel in these troubled times. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy and transform our pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Rather than indicate what separates him from the other clergy, he calls them fellow clergymen, underlining one of the letters main themes: brotherhood. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained. During the first half of the Letter, Dr. Kings arguments are marked more by their restraint than by their fire. The question is not whether we will be extremist, but what kind of extremists we will be. ", "You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws" to "I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws. Most of the Martin Luther statements were very rhetorical, whereby he employed Aristotle's kinds of persuasion to convince his audience. In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? ", "One of the basic points in your statement" through "I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience. It is a marvelous mixture of logos and pathos. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. Knowing that their fears and anxieties will predispose them to doubt his call to action, he presents the call through a variety of rational arguments and personal pathos. 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. And yet as the arguments progress, Dr. Kings attacks become less passive aggressive and more direct, moving him into a sort of prophet who no longer argues that he needs the support of his audience. He directly accuses moderates of disingenuousness when they preach patience, in effect calling them liars they say wait but mean never. Worse, he suggests that they lie without even realizing it. Smothering in an airtight cage of poverty. Clue & Answer Definitions. Was not Jesus an 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. Was not Amos an extremist for justice: Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream. Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Was not Martin Luther an extremist: Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God. And John Bunyan: I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience. And Abraham Lincoln: This nation cannot survive half slave and half free. And Thomas Jefferson: We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping order and preventing violence. I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. To view the suffering of others but to remain silent facilitates a world where men are separate, which he equates with sinfulness. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. In other words, they should join his cause not only for his sake, but for their own. On April 3, 1963, the Rev. What gives them such exceptional power is that they operate with the protection of both the secular (the sacred heritage of our nation) and the divine (the eternal will of God.) Echoing his earlier arguments that the law and morality cannot be considered as independent concepts, he insists that he will triumph because he believes in justice, and implicitly warns those who do not join him that they are cowardly, promoting injustice instead. They have gone down the highways of the South on tortuous rides for freedom. Isnt this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with Americas destiny. Let me take note of my other major disappointment. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negros great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizens Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to order than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another mans freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a more convenient season. Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. First, it conforms to his ultimate purpose of justifying his cause as being in the name of justice. I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressor race can understand the deep groans and passionate yearnings of the oppressed race, and still fewer have the vision to see that injustice must be rooted out by strong, persistent and determined action. "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is addressed to several clergymen who had written an open letter criticizing the actions of Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during their protests in Birmingham. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. We are sadly mistaken if we feel that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor will bring the millennium to Birmingham. When I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama, a few years ago, I felt we would be supported by the white church. Arguably the most sophisticated section of the Letter is Dr. Kings distinction between just and unjust laws. Frequently we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Justice too long delayed is justice denied, We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Further, he implicitly suggests that by continuing to facilitate the oppression of the black man through moderation, his audience is operating in sin and will ultimately be on the losing side. Full text of "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr. 16 April 1963 My Dear Fellow Clergymen: While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. left their villages and carried their thus saith the Lord far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the churchs silentand often even vocalsanction of things as they are. ", "You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws" to "I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. I'm not sure what you mean by "these people". An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Policemen curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters. More books than SparkNotes. Throughout his career, many critics of Dr. King argued that he was too deferential to the white authorities that facilitated segregation and other racist policies, but the tone here seems to serve several purposes. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us. The multiple traditions from which Dr. King draws his allusions reflects this belief, showing his deference for and trust in a variety of approaches, including: secular theory; Jewish theology; Christian thinkers; political figures; and historical persons. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. King is expressing his apology for the demonstrations themselves, but he is not apologizing for the reasons and purposes behind the demonstrations. But again I am thankful to God that some noble souls from the ranks of organized religion have broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity and joined us as active partners in the struggle for freedom. Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. Mindful of the difficulties involved, we decided to undertake a process of self purification. 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. How could I do otherwise? resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Never before have I written so long a letter. Eight Birmingham clergymen had published a. But they have acted in the faith that right defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. To preserve the evil system of segregation. I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle. In Dr. Kings argument, moderation is a reflection of the moderates ignorant and unwitting sinfulness. But again I have been disappointed. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty. If nothing else, Letter from Birmingham Jail is a masterpiece of pointed passive aggression. ", I must make two honest confessions. through now this approach is being termed extremist., But though I was initially disappointed through embodied in our echoing demands., Read the Study Guide for Letter From Birmingham Jail, Rhetorical Analysis of Letter From a Birmingham Jail, We Are in This Together: Comparing "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and "Sonny's Blues", Fighting Inequality with the Past: A Look into "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and Related Historical Documents, A Question of Appeal: Rhetorical Analysis of Malcolm X and MLK, View our essays for Letter From Birmingham Jail, Introduction to Letter From Birmingham Jail, View the lesson plan for Letter From Birmingham Jail, View Wikipedia Entries for Letter From Birmingham Jail. Due to the extent of his higher learning, Dr. King had ready access to a number of allusions from a variety of religious and secular traditions, and he makes full use of that knowledge in the Letter. While each allusion serves a particular purpose in the context of the argument in which it is used, when taken together they underline two aspects of his argument. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, Wait. But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she cant go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five year old son who is asking: Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?; when you take a cross county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading white and colored; when your first name becomes nigger, your middle name becomes boy (however old you are) and your last name becomes John, and your wife and mother are never given the respected title Mrs.; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of nobodinessthen you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Successful essay writing quizlet business plan writers in. Answers for letter from birmingham jail letters crossword clue, 3 letters. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. Considering it was written in a situation so infused with racial issues, the Letter from Birmingham Jail is often strangely divorced from explicitly racial issues. Small in number, they were big in commitment. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. And I am further convinced that if our white brothers dismiss as rabble rousers and outside agitators those of us who employ nonviolent direct action, and if they refuse to support our nonviolent efforts, millions of Negroes will, out of frustration and despair, seek solace and security in black nationalist ideologiesa development that would inevitably lead to a frightening racial nightmare. That would lead to anarchy. In terms of the former, the white moderate operates under an illusion that patience will be more effective towards ending segregation than tension will be. He makes this point explicitly in the early part of the Letter. This argument supports his defense of civil disobedience, allows him to criticize the church for supporting the status quo rather than empowering crusaders for change, and supports the idea that law must reflect morality since it might otherwise be designed solely for the comfort of the majority. Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. Before closing I feel impelled to mention one other point in your statement that has troubled me profoundly. He writes: All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but it is possible that you are in too great a religious hurry. They are still all too few in quantity, but they are big in quality. Where were their voices when the lips of Governor Barnett dripped with words of interposition and nullification? And yet little by little, it becomes clear that Dr. King intends this statement for a much larger audience. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. I have beheld the impressive outlines of her massive religious education buildings. I had hoped that each of you would understand. But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. He is a U.S. citizen and no U.S. citizen is an outsider anywhere within the U.S. 3. Here is a detailed piece about the letter from Birmingham jail rhetorical analysis. Overall, the Letter is a litany of attacks even though it is presented more as a defense. He was invited there 2. Though the allusion serves several particular purposes as a symbol of wisdom or of civil disobedience it often speaks to Dr. Kings overall approach in the Letter. The Socratic dialogues are masterpieces of misdirection, as Socrates does not offer answers but rather questions assertions made by other people. Im afraid it is much too long to take your precious time. Isnt negotiation a better path? You are quite right in calling for negotiation. How do they strengthen his argument and underscore his overall message? Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. One day the South will recognize its real heroes. Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. ", I must make two honest confessions. through now this approach is being termed extremist., But though I was initially disappointed through embodied in our echoing demands., Read the Study Guide for Letter From Birmingham Jail, Rhetorical Analysis of Letter From a Birmingham Jail, We Are in This Together: Comparing "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and "Sonny's Blues", Fighting Inequality with the Past: A Look into "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and Related Historical Documents, A Question of Appeal: Rhetorical Analysis of Malcolm X and MLK, View our essays for Letter From Birmingham Jail, Introduction to Letter From Birmingham Jail, View the lesson plan for Letter From Birmingham Jail, View Wikipedia Entries for Letter From Birmingham Jail. Whites who arrested king for no reason. He challenges his audience to disagree with the grounds on which he gladly calls himself an extremist and plans to remake the world for justice. On the surface, Letter from Birmingham Jail is intended for the Birmingham clergymen who published an open letter criticizing the actions of Dr. King and the SCLC. Is not segregation an existential expression of mans tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? Then, last September, came the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birminghams economic community. We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and the national community. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world? Letter from the Birmingham Jail Quotes Showing 1-30 of 33. He stipulates through pathos that good men want a solid rock of human dignity, and then argues that direct action like that of the SCLC is the only way to reach such a transcendent state. On April 19, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr (MLK) wrote a detailed letter from Birmingham Jail in reply to some public releases which were directed at undermining his fight for civil equality. "Letter From a Birmingham Jail," written by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963, describes a protest against his arrest for non-violent resistance to racism. Letter from Birmingham Jail Summary & Analysis Next Themes Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis Martin Luther King, Jr. directs his letter to the eight white clergymen who publicly condemned his actions in Birmingham, Alabama. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was well timed in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. Then it occurred to us that Birminghams mayoral election was coming up in March, and we speedily decided to postpone action until after election day. Where were they when Governor Wallace gave a clarion call for defiance and hatred? When he explains the many distinctions that support his cause such as the differences between just and unjust laws, violence and nonviolence, or just means and unjust ends he is implicitly suggesting that the clergymen are too dense to realize the nuances of the situation they have so openly criticized. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. An early example is his discussion and defense of tension. However, here he shows a much greater eagerness to accept a mantle, regardless of his audiences response. In truth, King is concocting a syllogism if Socrates is good, and Socrates was right to create tension so that the mind could grow, then tension is good for inspiring mankind to grow. Yes, they have gone to jail with us. Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood. He argues that moderation is but a handy disguise for cowards who fear upsetting the status quo more than desire to pursue justice. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leaders; all too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained glass windows. Whereas most of the Letter operates through sleight of hand logical arguments or naked pathos, this section is unusually harsh and direct, ultimately suggesting that Dr. King is now prepared to admit that while he would like the support of his audience, he and his brothers and sisters will persevere and succeed even without it. In "Letter from Birmingham City Jail," Martin Luther King, Jr., uses logos, pathos, and ethosto support his arguments. Some -such as Ralph McGill, Lillian Smith, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Ann Braden and Sarah Patton Boylehave written about our struggle in eloquent and prophetic terms. Except for Jesus Christ, Socrates is the allusion Dr. King most often uses to make his point. I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against outsiders coming in. I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Through a variety of legally-structured arguments, Dr. King illustrates the fallacy of both these assumptions. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that countrys antireligious laws. You may well ask: Why direct action? But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. Dr. King tells the clergymen that he was upset about their criticisms, and that he wishes to address their concerns. I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. But despite these notable exceptions, I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. Professor Jonathan Rieder argues that the Letter can be understood as having two sections: the Diplomat and Prophet sections. Because Dr. King establishes this philosophical groundwork so early on, he has unimpeachable justifications for those later claims. Justice: Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing.!, find answers, and even kill your black brothers and sisters we... The demonstrations themselves, but what kind of civil disobedience talk with leaders of Birminghams economic.! If we feel that the Letter is a code that is out of harmony with the law. 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