Topic > Letter from Birmingham Jail

In Dr. King's letter he addresses several clergy who had written an open letter criticizing the actions of Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during their protests in Birmingham. Dr. King tells the priests that he was angry at their criticism and that he wishes to address some of their concerns. He defends his right to be present in a cool tone, explaining that the SCLC operates throughout the South. One of its affiliates had invited them to Birmingham, and that's why they came. He then said he had come to Birmingham to fight “injustice”. King believes clergymen have made a mistake in criticizing protesters without equally exploring the racist causes of the injustice they are protesting. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Then explain how the SCLC chose to resist because Birmingham was about to have a mayoral election. Dr. King understands that priests prefer negotiation to protest, but says negotiations cannot happen without protest. But the black community has waited long enough. Dr. King insists that the black man has waited “more than 340 years” for this justice. Among this abuse is his experience explaining to his young daughter why he cannot go to the “public amusement park” because of the color of his skin and that the black man has been pushed “into the abyss of despair.” He then talks about segregation, describing it as completely “unfair”. Some laws that the majority forces the minority to follow that do not are laws worth breaking. Dr. King understands that blatantly ignoring the law would lead to chaos, but insists he is willing to accept punishment for his transgression. This is the main difference that justified what he did. In summary, he says that the Nazis used laws against the Jewish people to persecute them as whites do against blacks, and that he too would break those laws to support the oppressed class. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay So Dr. King claims to be between two opposing sides. On one side are the black bootleggers, who cannot believe that change is possible or who are unwilling to sacrifice anything for the true equality they deserve. which is the more violent of the two factions. Dr. King seeks to offer a peaceful, nonviolent, and loving way to protest. He warns that blacks will resort to more violent means if the black man does not follow the right path. He then apologizes for the length of his letter. At the end he ironically signs the letter: “Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood”.