martin luther king, letter from birmingham jail
...e community and thereby forced the issues to be addressed. Later, King addresses another of the clergymen’s criticism that the actions taken are untimely. He questions when would be a good time. He says that with a major segregationist in office, Albert Boutwell, the time will never be right. He says that Negroes “have waited for more than 340 years for” “constitutional and “God-given rights” (185). He declares that it easier for people not in situations such as that of the Negroes to tell them to wait. He claims that to Negroes wait is synonymous with never. King then continues on to talk about breaking laws. He states that laws should not be broken unless they are unjust. He describes a just law as “a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God,” and “an unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law” (187). He asserts that laws such as denying a minority the right to vote are unjust because Negroes have no part in devising the laws. Thus, the legislature cannot say segregation laws are democratically elected. Finally, King closes out his letter by conveying his disappointment in the church. He clarifies that he is not negatively criticizing the church, but he is in fact disappointed in the lack of support that he has received from the leaders of the churches. He feels that even though the church leaders are white, they would have an appreciation for morality and justice; and therefore serve as his allies as opposed to being his opponent. Kings recalls a time when the early Christians were powerful. He states that when the Christians were seen as agitators and forceful, they were persistent, and they continued to assert that they were obeying God. He continues that, presently, the church is not willing to be as sacrificial as the early Christians. Throughout his letter to the clergymen, King effectively uses many rhetorical techniques to convey his point of view. Two of the strongest and most effective points of view are the use of biblical allusions and satire. During the entire letter, King refers to the God, God’s will, Jesus Christ, and biblical context. For example, in the beginning of the letter King compares his being in Birmingham to the Apostle Paul leaving his village to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ. He says that he is “compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond” his hometown (182). Also, throughout the letter he uses terms such as “God-given rights” and “the law of God” to enhance his argument that racial inequality is morally wrong and that he is morally obligated to take a stand and do something about it. In regards to breaking the laws and civil disobedience, he compares the actions of the Negroes to those of biblical figures such as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They refused to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar because of their claim that there was a higher moral law at stake. Additionally, when the clergyman categorizes King as an extremist, he replies that Paul also was an “extremist for the Christian gospel” (192). He also asserts that Jesus Christ was an extremist for “love, truth and goodness” (192). All of these comparisons and references to the Biblical context add to the effectiveness of the letter because of the clergymen’s affiliation with bible. They are preachers of the word of God, and thus should be able to relate to the references that King makes. In addition to biblical allusions, King also uses satire, another rhetorical technique, to reproach the clergymen. Again in the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, King identifies himself with those biblical figures. This relation implies that the clergymen are comparable to Nebuchadnezzar. The early Christians, like King and his followers, were willing to face excruciating and deadly penalties rather than to submit to the unfair laws of the Roman Empire. In the same context, King compares himself and the Negroes to the Jews with the clergymen being comparable to the Hilter. King and his followers are ready and willing to break unjust laws, whereas, the clergymen, who include a Jewish rabbi, are committed to upholding the law at all costs. In the events of the Jews, Hitler abided by legal laws, though they were excessively unjust. This comparison is extremely effective because King appeals the reality and background of at least one...