Martin Luther King's Letter From a Birmingham Jail. Based on the excerpt you read, what is the central message of this letter? Provide supporting arguments.
Based on the page of the letter that I read, it is easy to conclude that in his letter, Martin Luther King is addressing issues of religion and how they relate to the struggle against segregation and discrimination. He states that the church, rather than being an active agent for moral change, is a proponent of the maintenance of the status-quo in many situations be it vocally or silently. In addition, King concludes that if we were to be extremists for good rather than extremists for evil, that someday there will be equality between the races.
The central message is derived from MLK's response to a group of fellow ministers, who are calling his actions "unwise and untimely" calling him an outsider in Birmingham, claiming its not his place. He responds by bluntly stating that HE is the leader of the southern leadership conference, and thus his job is to seek out racial injustice, and in Birmingham, there is injustice. He argues that no citizen of the United States "can be considered an outsider within its bounds" taking a swing at segregationists and the clergymen who criticize him. Even though he believes negotiation is the best path, he believes direct nonviolent action is necessary to bring about negotiation. With time his plan would be proved to work, justifying his and solidifying his right to go out and protest anywhere and to lead in civil rights.
What Martin Luther King is saying in this letter is that direct action has to be taken and taken immediately. He makes it clear that freedom isn't free and it is going to be hard but, waiting is not going to make it any easier. He says that "wait" will turn into "never". He also states that people are being emotionally and physically hurt because of the situation and that people have died. This is used to further express his point that action needs to be taken now.
That color people should receive the same rights not be judge by there religion. He also talk about hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.Then he said that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." So I think the message is that he wants to bring whites and blacks together.
That everyone has there own believes and there own way of thinking of things like go to church and pray to god and have a nonviolent protest.then there are some people that will take action to get there point crossed like marches at the capital and may resort to violent acts to help get the point a crossed.
We should not let it get to violents and we can't do nothing so maybe find a medium so the people can protest and get there point a crossed without getting people hurt
From the page that I read, and just my own knowledge of segregation, I understand what Mr. King is attempting to tell the society. Segregation is one of the biggest problems in the world today,and back in the day. There is truly no point in racism, isn't that what the Civil war was attempting to tell us, "Even though they have a different shade of skin, doesn't mean they aren't human." By that little saying we should put racism aside. I bet if I asked a person who happened to be racist, that person couldn't give me 1 good reason why he/she hates Negros. With all that said,I rest my case.
The Page i read stated many things about Unjust Laws.. An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself, and on that you must be openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to break an unjust law, and accept it's penalty, even though "an unjust law is no law at all"-St.Augustine. A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law. The difference between A just Law and an Unjust Law is, a Just Law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself.
What Martin Luther King, Jr is saying is that he wants justice in the south and he wants the unjust treatment in and outside of the courts to come to an end. He also says “Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider” and he says that because people of Birmingham considered them as outsiders. Mr.King tells the Clergymen that his statement fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. Mr.King thinks negro leaders need to negotiate with the city fathers but the letter consistently refuses to negotiate with him. If the city would negotiate he would stop the marches, sit ins, and direct action.
The central message Dr. King is trying to get across with his letter from Birmingham is that nonviolent protesting is the key to ending the war against segregation. MLK states that sometimes it is necessary to break unjust laws, when talking about the type of problems that were happening in Birmingham. Dr. King also discusses the issue of being an extremist. He says that all people are extremists, even Jesus. What was important was the choice of what kind of extremist you were to be, good or evil. If we were to become good extremists, than the path to equality would be shorter.
Based on the page of the letter that I read, it is easy to conclude that in his letter, Martin Luther King is addressing issues of religion and how they relate to the struggle against segregation and discrimination. He states that the church, rather than being an active agent for moral change, is a proponent of the maintenance of the status-quo in many situations be it vocally or silently. In addition, King concludes that if we were to be extremists for good rather than extremists for evil, that someday there will be equality between the races.
ReplyDeleteThe central message is derived from MLK's response to a group of fellow ministers, who are calling his actions "unwise and untimely" calling him an outsider in Birmingham, claiming its not his place. He responds by bluntly stating that HE is the leader of the southern leadership conference, and thus his job is to seek out racial injustice, and in Birmingham, there is injustice. He argues that no citizen of the United States "can be considered an outsider within its bounds" taking a swing at segregationists and the clergymen who criticize him. Even though he believes negotiation is the best path, he believes direct nonviolent action is necessary to bring about negotiation. With time his plan would be proved to work, justifying his and solidifying his right to go out and protest anywhere and to lead in civil rights.
ReplyDeleteWhat Martin Luther King is saying in this letter is that direct action has to be taken and taken immediately. He makes it clear that freedom isn't free and it is going to be hard but, waiting is not going to make it any easier. He says that "wait" will turn into "never". He also states that people are being emotionally and physically hurt because of the situation and that people have died. This is used to further express his point that action needs to be taken now.
ReplyDeleteBY: Colbert Bartlett
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThat color people should receive the same rights not be judge by there religion. He also talk about hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.Then he said that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." So I think the message is that he wants to bring whites and blacks together.
DeleteThat everyone has there own believes and there own way of thinking of things like go to church and pray to god and have a nonviolent protest.then there are some people that will take action to get there point crossed like marches at the capital and may resort to violent acts to help get the point a crossed.
ReplyDeleteWe should not let it get to violents and we can't do nothing so maybe find a medium so the people can protest and get there point a crossed without getting people hurt
From the page that I read, and just my own knowledge of segregation, I understand what Mr. King is attempting to tell the society. Segregation is one of the biggest problems in the world today,and back in the day. There is truly no point in racism, isn't that what the Civil war was attempting to tell us, "Even though they have a different shade of skin, doesn't mean they aren't human." By that little saying we should put racism aside. I bet if I asked a person who happened to be racist, that person couldn't give me 1 good reason why he/she hates Negros. With all that said,I rest my case.
ReplyDeleteThe Page i read stated many things about Unjust Laws.. An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself, and on that you must be openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to break an unjust law, and accept it's penalty, even though "an unjust law is no law at all"-St.Augustine. A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law. The difference between A just Law and an Unjust Law is, a Just Law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself.
ReplyDeleteWhat Martin Luther King, Jr is saying is that he wants justice in the south and he wants the unjust treatment in and outside of the courts to come to an end. He also says “Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider” and he says that because people of Birmingham considered them as outsiders. Mr.King tells the Clergymen that his statement fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. Mr.King thinks negro leaders need to negotiate with the city fathers but the letter consistently refuses to negotiate with him. If the city would negotiate he would stop the marches, sit ins, and direct action.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe central message Dr. King is trying to get across with his letter from Birmingham is that nonviolent protesting is the key to ending the war against segregation. MLK states that sometimes it is necessary to break unjust laws, when talking about the type of problems that were happening in Birmingham. Dr. King also discusses the issue of being an extremist. He says that all people are extremists, even Jesus. What was important was the choice of what kind of extremist you were to be, good or evil. If we were to become good extremists, than the path to equality would be shorter.
ReplyDelete