Martin Luther King Rhetorical Analysis

Register to read the introduction… complied with his integral values, which in turn made our country rightfully desegregated today. The issues presented by Stephen L. Carter, “that we as a nation too often lack integrity, which might be described, in a loose and colloquial way, as the courage of one’s convictions” (180), would be resolved by using a similar mindset to that of King’s. The activist’s adversaries frowned upon any change in the system, making it hard to reach equality. The negotiation attempts left empty promises by white merchants who said they would, “remove the stores’ humiliating racial signs” (165), only to have “A few signs, briefly removed, returned; the others remained” (165). These merchants were not integral individuals; they had not followed through on their consents. Despite the majority of moderate whites being close-minded, and unwilling to compromise, there were few who “grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it” (172). King describes these brave individuals as, “still all too few in quantity, but they are big in quality” (172). He mentions the names of those who have helped him and illustrates their struggles, saying, “They have languished in filthy, roach-infested jails, suffering the abuse and brutality of policemen who view them 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” (172). Just as those who helped the slaves escape through the Underground Railroad to freedom, the same types of people also remained true to their integral values during the civil rights movement. King was also thankful to those of noble ranks in congregations who, “have left their secure congregations and walked the streets of Albany, Georgia… have gone down the highways of the South on tortuous rides for freedom… have gone to jail with us… have been dismissed …show more content…
White moderates during King’s time had also not taken the time to identify right from wrong regarding segregation and human rights, which ultimately resulted in an unjustice that they had turned their heads away from. Oprah Winfrey, launching her OWN network this year, has premiered a show called, What Would You Do? In each episode, unknowingly, strangers are presented with issues regarding equality, justice, and discerning right from wrong. In one such episode, an actress, passes out in the middle of a sidewalk, many strangers rush to her side and call an ambulance. Interestingly enough, when an older actor dressed as a bum does the same thing, he is not even looked at twice by passerbys. The only person with enough integrity to stop was a disabled black woman who could not even phone for an ambulance, considering she had no phone. To bring such issues and controversies to light, Oprah is raising awareness of integrity just as King had. Implementing integrity with metacognition is a great tool to creating a better world for ourselves and our