"A Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr.

was written in the margins of a

letter posted by the clergymen of Alabama at this time that sparked his interest and while he
inhabited the jail cell for parading around without a permit. This time allowed him the ability
to respond wholeheartedly to this cynical oppressing. King's letter addresses specific points
presented in the Clergymen's and this direct response distinguishes King's strong points
through his powerful writing. Unethical and immoral mentions came to the attention of the
Minister through the letter, and he expressed his differing views and defended his ideals and
actions through Aristotle's three rhetorical devices, ethos, logos, and pathos.

First and foremost, King establishes his credibility to spark off his strong defense. Introducing
himself as "The President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization
operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, [with] eighty-five
affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement
for Human Rights" ("Letter from Birmingham Jail" 2). This credential not only puts King into
a position of power but also proves that he has seen enough of the south and the problems
within it to create a strong argument against his opposition. Another point that establishes this
is on page seven of "Letter from Birmingham Jail" where King states that he's traveled
through the "length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi, and all the other southern states. On
sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings". This quote defends his credibility
further because not only did King travel once through these states but multiple times in
different seasons, and even deeper- in different trials that may have been presented.
Moreover, throughout the letter, King references the Bible, presidents, and writers to establish
not only his educated mind, but also his passion for righteousness and his stance as a minister.
The flawless flow of his passionate response to the Clergymen also presents support for his
intellect and knowledge due to keeping a reasonable head and developed grammar while
inhabiting a jail cell.

Many of the King's rhetoric used that convinced his credibility to the audience also
demonstrated the logic in his counterargument. In a simple paragraph, he effectively proves
his point that extremism for a proper cause isn't something to discredit and should not be
looked upon as a negative thing, "Was not Jesus an extremist for Love,Was not Amos and
Extremist of justice, was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel, and Abraham
Lincoln,and Thomas Jefferson,The Question is not whether we will be extremists, but what
kind of extremists we will be" ("A Letter from Birmingham Jail" 6). After thoroughly tying in
many influential figures in history, King then goes on to question the argument of the
Clergymen stating that the demonstrations are at fault in Birmingham and not the social
situation already simmering. "Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to
prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which,not a
single Negro is registered" ("Letter from Birmingham Jail" 4) This direct attack on the truth of
Alabama in this time brings a harsher light to what happens and what is overlooked to many.
King then continues to state that it was his "parading without a permit" (4), that landed him in
the jail and while it is completely fine to have such an "ordinance,it becomes unjust when it is
used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First Amendment privilege of peaceful
assembly and protest" ("Letter from Birmingham Jail" 4). This direct reference to the
constitution of the United States and just and unjust laws and ordinances proves a strong point
for King's Rebuttal, which helps to defend the equal rights movement even further.

Throughout the passage, after King addresses his credentials and furthers I through his
knowledgeable and strong rebuttals of logic, his argument plays further into the conscious of
his audience through well put references and emotional instances. One powerful example of
King's pull on the reader's consciousness in his letter is on page three when he refutes the
argument of the Clergymen saying that Colored people should just "wait". While many words
truly stand out, King's true effect was mastered by the appeal to the parents in the group,
"When you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: "Daddy, why
white people treat colored people so mean"" ("Letter from Birmingham Jail" 3)? Then again,
"humiliation day in and day out by nagging signs" ("Letter from Birmingham Jail 3) and even
further, when "you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness"" ("Letter from
Birmingham Jail 3). Another element that helps support King's point in his letter is the fervent
repetition of his blatant disappointment in more than simply the clergymen, but their Christian
faith and the churches in service within Alabama during this time. King repeats how
disappointed he was in the "common whites" also and their bystander reactions to racial
issues. The fact that this man, a minister, "beneath" the said extremist white clergymen, and
inhabiting a jail cell during that time, who was disappointed in people showed a true depth
which hit the audience profoundly. (King)

These three elements to Martin Luther King's letter aid it to be the most effective argument
against the Clergymen's rash and irrational spark of a letter. Because he sought to the
demands and claims so logically, and rebutted with passion and clarity, King's message was
put across and he demonstrated what he needed to put his point across and defend his actions
and ideals. The strength of this letter allowed a clear voice to hopefully change mindsets and
common misconceptions within Birmingham, Alabama and did not allow the irregularities of
the Clergymen to cloud minds with incorrect thoughts.