Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail

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In Martin Luther King Jr’s. Letter from a Birmingham Jail, King provides strong philosophical arguments to show the clergymen why the demonstration in Birmingham was necessary, well thought out, and fair because of their God given right to have the same liberties as white men. King contemplates the topics of just and unjust laws, civil disobedience, and direct action using personal and theological example to support his thesis. King’s first uses the topic of just and unjust laws to demonstrate why the demonstrator’s actions in Birmingham were justified. He address how it is possible disobey some laws and break others by circling back to the fact that there are the two types of laws: just and unjust.
He then directly asks the clergymen how …show more content…
How can something that has been over 300 years in the making be untimely? The African American community had been oppressed and deprived of their rights since the days of slavery, and King points out that he did not choose a random date. The first date chosen was Easter because they wanted to have it at a point where the economy was thriving so not to disrupt the city, but they realized that the mayoral elections were also in March, leading them to delay their demonstration. Additionally, they went through the four step of a nonviolent campaign: “collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation;self purification; and direct action,” and after going through each step, they came to the conclusion that Birmingham was the most segregated city in the United States (King). By explaining his direct thought process and actions, King successfully proves their right to have chosen the day that they did. He brings in elements of questioning oneself to make sure they are prepared, and then King asks whether they have done everything they can before proceeding with direct action. Next, King shows why they chose to practice direct action instead of negotiations; he asks and answers some rhetorical questions so that he can show how he came up with his conclusion, almost in a socratic way of thinking. He argues that the only way the African American community would be able to get to the point of negation with anyone would be through nonviolent direct action. This forces the community involved to face to ‘elephant in the room,’ and it fosters an environment that creates
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