Dr. King used oratorical questions, metaphors and an urgent tone to make his letter engaging and significant. Dr. King writes to the reader so that they could see that the unjust treatment, segregation, and lack of rights was an injustice to the black American and to question why it was happening. There were several criticisms from the white clergy to Dr. King which influenced his response to them; four of them being, outsiders coming into Birmingham, the white moderate, the white church and the commendation of the Alabama police department.
One of the main criticisms the white clergy writes to King about is the idea of the outsider coming in to change the situation in Birmingham. Dr. King establishes his credibility by stating that he did not consider himself an outsider. King responds, “I am in Birmingham because injustice is here,” and “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King). Dr. King means that he is in Birmingham because the situation in Birmingham appeals to his personal motive. Thus, he would be anywhere injustice could be found. Dr. King explains to the white clergy that he is first an American, and as such, he should not be …show more content…
To King’s surprise, they choose to stand in the way and passively defend the status quo as they had always done. To King, the church was an irrelevant social club to the fight against racial injustice. However, King still has hope in the church for he believes there is a “True ecclesia and the hope of the world.” He knows there are those who run the church politics, who are its leaders, but there are true believers within, and it is these people that he must reach. He concludes that he has “No despair about the future,” even if the church does not join his cause, meaning that he has much hope that the leadership support him at least spiritually if the politics hinder them from engaging in open civil
One of the main criticisms the white clergy writes to King about is the idea of the outsider coming in to change the situation in Birmingham. Dr. King establishes his credibility by stating that he did not consider himself an outsider. King responds, “I am in Birmingham because injustice is here,” and “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King). Dr. King means that he is in Birmingham because the situation in Birmingham appeals to his personal motive. Thus, he would be anywhere injustice could be found. Dr. King explains to the white clergy that he is first an American, and as such, he should not be …show more content…
To King’s surprise, they choose to stand in the way and passively defend the status quo as they had always done. To King, the church was an irrelevant social club to the fight against racial injustice. However, King still has hope in the church for he believes there is a “True ecclesia and the hope of the world.” He knows there are those who run the church politics, who are its leaders, but there are true believers within, and it is these people that he must reach. He concludes that he has “No despair about the future,” even if the church does not join his cause, meaning that he has much hope that the leadership support him at least spiritually if the politics hinder them from engaging in open civil