Letter from a Birmingham Jail - Assignment Example

Letter from a Birmingham Jail" Introduction As he writes this letter from Birmingham jail, Martin Luther find is necessary to react to a public ment made by his fellow eight white religious leaders. Although it is not a norm for him to answer any of the many questions arriving at his desk every day, he felt the need to clarify the reason for the “unwise and untimely” present activities. Birmingham is one city filled with segregation against colour. Actually, the Negros experience injustice in courts, brutality from police officers, as well as bombings of their churches and homes.

The Negro children cannot visit public parks and they live in overcrowded places in this affluent society. While it is wise to negotiate and come to a level ground, Negro’s efforts has been futile having waited for the last 340 years to have their constitutional rights. Therefore, Negro feel the need to demand for what is rightfully theirs as they claim back their dignity as equal human beings with the whites. This paper highlights the ethos, pathos, and logos in the “letter from Birmingham jail”Ethos means convincing by the character of the writer.

From the letter, Martin Luther King is a moral being who is concerned about his fellow brother’s mistreatment. He feels that all human beings are equal and should receive the same treatment in the judicial cases, public places and through the persons entrusted with the law. We see him talking of love of the enemy, that oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever and criticising his fellow preachers for doing nothing about it (King 4). In his conquest for justice, Martin knows that negotiation is a better path.

Since nobody has the time to listen to the Negro now, a choice to demonstrate and disturb the normality of the city to have someone listens to them is the only option.Logos persuade the audience by use of reasoning. In this letter, Martin uses the obvious logic to persuade the public that they were justified to hold the demonstrations. To him, 340 years of injustice to the Negro is quite a long time to wait. He argues that, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny” (King 1).

Martin knows too well that an injustice to one person in Birmingham of any colour means an injustice to the entire city. He also describes a non-violent campaign that includes four basics, collection of facts, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action. Martin and his team had fulfilled all this.Pathos persuades the audience by getting through their emotions. As he writes this letter martin could not understand why a human being would treat another like an animal. He argues, “I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, "Wait.

" But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity” (King 2)ConclusionAccording to this letter the demonstration referred to unwise and untimely were justified. Having tried all means, Martin, and his fellow brothers had to destabilise the peace and the norm to have somebody sit with them and negotiate.

The laws governing a state are equal to all and enable a just system. Apparently, there were several judicial laws in Birmingham and an alignment was needful. All human beings are the same and have the right to equal treatment regardless of their race or colour.Works CitedLuther, Martin. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Cn Web, 28 May 2012,