Reasoning_Behind_the_Protest

Reasoning behind the protest What is it that makes great orators such dynamic speakers' Is it passion' Is it the power to persuade, motivate, and inspire' Or is it the power to develop one's mind and touch your heart' What are the magical secrets of these exceptional communicators' Dr. Martin Luther King was one of the greatest orators of the past twentieth century. His use of language to convey a message of hope and struggle is a classic example of how one can try to persuade other’s towards a particular cause. His elaborate use of this language is evident in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” addressed to a knowledgeable group of eight fellow pastors who were not in agreement with his difficult campaign of nonviolent engagement towards the segregationist of Birmingham Alabama. “But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms” (MLK 473). This quote by Dr. King lays the groundwork for his personal application of great oratory persuasion in relaying his message of self-struggle for him and his people. Dr. King strongly suggests in his letter that “There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into an abyss of injustice where they experience the blackness of corroding despair” (476). This represents Dr. King’s feelings on how African-Americans because of years of injustices have come to the realization that they must stand up for themselves and speak out against rabid segregationists who are intent on readily continuing the status quo. Failure to do so will only mean more years of oppression and hostility. Thus the decision to no longer tolerate racist and bigoted behaviors came to be. “Just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own hometown' Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid” (473). This stresses to the reader that Dr. King feels he is on a mission from God for the salvation of his people. “I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need not follow the “do-nothingism” of the complacent or the hatred and despair of the Black Nationalist” (480). Dr. King has to deal with many facets of the endless struggle to free his people that include developing self-worth and the struggle to control the backlash of anger caused by racial segregation. Dr. King is trying to convince the clergymen that they cannot expect a people to continue to accept an existence of dread and misery. “You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations” (473). It is understandable that Dr. King wants freedom for his people. To be free is inherent in all human beings. The clergymen consider the actions of the civil rights movement to be “Untimely” (475). But Dr. King eloquently responds by saying “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (475). People are afraid of change and are constantly calling for a delay even if they know the conditions that warrant a call for a change are morally wrong if left in place. “For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant 'Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied" (475). The last part of this quote is a call for justice then and now, not later. Martin Luther King was one of the twentieth century’s most influential men and greatest orators. He represented a monumental undertaking: a monument to the many individuals and circumstances faced in the effort to secure the fundamental rights of citizenship. He bravely rebelled against segregation and proved to be a dedicated young minister who continuously embodied the depths of his faith and the magnitude of his wisdom. Though we lost him far too soon, his words and deeds continue to inspire, provoke, educate and comfort. The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” expresses Dr. King’s fundamental reasons behind the methods of nonviolent civil disobedience, and King's disappointment with those who as men of the cloth should be more supportive of equality for the African-American people. Works Cited King, Martin Luther Jr.”Letter from Birmingham Jail“, Cultural Conversations: The Presence of the Past. Eds. Stephen Dilks, Regina Hansen, Mathew Parfitt. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. 471-486