“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King 113). Martin Luther King Jr. seeks to convince his fellow clergymen in “Letter from Birmingham Jail” that using a nonviolent campaign to end the injustice of segregation is politically, economically, sociologically correct, as well as morally right (117). He does this through a series of appeals. Some of his most effective and inspiring appeals are the logical appeals. He uses logic to convince the clergymen on a moral level that while a nonviolent campaign may include breaking the law or being labeled an extremist, it can peacefully bring justice. Not only do King’s ideas apply to ending segregation, but they can also be used today to peacefully end government control that goes against
…show more content…
King answers this statement by showing the difference between just and unjust laws and providing powerful historical examples. In response to why King is breaking the law, he answers, “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” (116). By stating this as a fact, King shows that he believes this statement to be something that everyone will accept without much argument. Then, he focuses on whether a law is just or unjust. Although King goes into a rather lengthy and somewhat repetitive discussion on this subject, what makes this argument effective is the historical examples that he cites. King starts off by showing that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar because of a higher moral law; the early Christians also faced lions and death rather than submit to unjust or morally incorrect laws in the Roman Empire (118). These two Christian examples were familiar to the clergymen and helped to explain his definitions. King also cites a more recent example with, “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was ‘legal’ … It was ‘Illegal’ to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany” (118). When this letter was written a few years after World War II, many of the clergymen would have lived through WWII and remembered what it was like. This stark …show more content…
King’s nonviolent campaign was seen as extreme by his fellow clergymen. Although initially disappointed with this title of extremist, King is able to turn it around and show other great heroes who were labeled as extreme during their time. King cites many historical examples such as: “Was not Jesus an extremist for love … Amos an extremist for justice … Martin Luther … John Bunyan … Abraham Lincoln …. Thomas Jefferson” (121). By showing that these heroes were extremists working for a goal, King not only equates himself to these people but shows the impact an extremist can make. These people were able to do unmeasurable amounts of good in both politics and religion; many of them worked against popular opinion and even the government to bring about a better life for people. He is showing the clergymen and all his readers that they could be this kind of hero to the Negro community and possibly the world in general. King asks them what kind of extremists they will be and what cause they will be extreme for (121). King challenges his readers to stand up for what they believe, no matter what names they are called, by showing the readers that their heroes have stood up for their own beliefs in history and the changes that these extremists have
King answers this statement by showing the difference between just and unjust laws and providing powerful historical examples. In response to why King is breaking the law, he answers, “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” (116). By stating this as a fact, King shows that he believes this statement to be something that everyone will accept without much argument. Then, he focuses on whether a law is just or unjust. Although King goes into a rather lengthy and somewhat repetitive discussion on this subject, what makes this argument effective is the historical examples that he cites. King starts off by showing that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar because of a higher moral law; the early Christians also faced lions and death rather than submit to unjust or morally incorrect laws in the Roman Empire (118). These two Christian examples were familiar to the clergymen and helped to explain his definitions. King also cites a more recent example with, “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was ‘legal’ … It was ‘Illegal’ to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany” (118). When this letter was written a few years after World War II, many of the clergymen would have lived through WWII and remembered what it was like. This stark …show more content…
King’s nonviolent campaign was seen as extreme by his fellow clergymen. Although initially disappointed with this title of extremist, King is able to turn it around and show other great heroes who were labeled as extreme during their time. King cites many historical examples such as: “Was not Jesus an extremist for love … Amos an extremist for justice … Martin Luther … John Bunyan … Abraham Lincoln …. Thomas Jefferson” (121). By showing that these heroes were extremists working for a goal, King not only equates himself to these people but shows the impact an extremist can make. These people were able to do unmeasurable amounts of good in both politics and religion; many of them worked against popular opinion and even the government to bring about a better life for people. He is showing the clergymen and all his readers that they could be this kind of hero to the Negro community and possibly the world in general. King asks them what kind of extremists they will be and what cause they will be extreme for (121). King challenges his readers to stand up for what they believe, no matter what names they are called, by showing the readers that their heroes have stood up for their own beliefs in history and the changes that these extremists have