Rhetorical_Essay

Letter from the Eight White Clergymen vs. Letter from Birmingham – Long Rhetorical Analysis Paper In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, Eight White Clergymen writes a letter to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., while he was incarcerated for disturbing the peace. The actions that are being taken by King and his followers are causing unnecessary violence in the community and want to keep their city a peaceful town and if the “Negros” has a problem with the laws they have established to keep order they need to seek justice in the courts not in the streets. They also accuse King of causing civil unrest in the city when in reality it is injustice by the “white moderates” that has cause the violence in their attempt to keep law and order on peaceful demonstrations and sit-ins. The Clergymen urged King to stop the demonstration since it was apparent it was destructive to their way of life. King was rather annoyed with “the white moderates”(King 22) He decides to approach them by positioning those who have put him under a microscope under the scope. The Clergymen state the majority feels Kings actions are extreme for the situation doesn’t warrant such extreme measures. In actuality it does since previous actions and/or conversations have fallen on deaf ears and the minority is still suffering as a result of the unjust laws and actions of the majorities laws. While though they agree change must come they refuse to support King and his efforts for equality stating that the method of his ways was violent and unlawful. King and his followers committed no violent acts nor did they disobey any laws. King begins to refute the comments and assumptions made by the Clergymen regarding their concern for his presence in Birmingham. The “white moderates” constant ignorance towards the segregation and injustice has caused the African-American community to now stand up to the unjust laws and inequality. These are the reasons that have has force King to come to Birmingham. King goes on to clarify his purpose for being in Birmingham, organizational ties that brought him there and making the “white moderates” aware of the injustices in Birmingham toward the African-American community. He believes the time of compromise and pacification is no longer acceptable and now is the time to take a stand for injustice and equality. King strongly states in his arguments to clergymen that maintaining status quo is not equal to all citizens of Birmingham. The injustice to the African-American community will no longer be tolerated. Kings clearly disagrees and states that those who are in control wouldn’t give up that control freely without fighting to maintain that power. This makes his argument apparent that a change must come to African-American community. He begins his rebuttal comparing the situation in Birmingham to those of ancient times building his logic to why the needed to come to Birmingham and demonstrate is the most effective method to get his message to the political leaders of the city. Furthermore, King goes on to state he doesn’t disagree that laws must be upheld to maintain an orderly society. He uses biblical references to show self-sacrifice to the cause in which he believes. King states that all those that serve with him will do the same for what they believe in. He agrees that upholding the law would be essential to maintaining an orderly and functioning society. King places his arguments in three sentences. “How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust' A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law of God. An unjust law is code that out of harmony with the moral law” (King 16). He goes on to argue that unjust laws are placed as laws for the majority to oppress the minority. Meanwhile, the majority has taken the laws that were set to protect people to virtually oppress and discriminate against the minority by using brutal force, lynching and random murders of innocent people. King argues even if one must be obedient to the law and also acknowledge that the law is unjust. King references other great leaders in history such as Roman Empire, which were forced to deal with oppression of the people and how they strive to amend the situation. At this point King uses emotional appeal in the letter he goes on to explain why this cause is so near and dear to him. He references the beginning of bus boycott by a young women refusing to give up her seat and moving to the back of the bus, even though we know her as Rosa Parks many at that time didn’t. King felt this was a stepping-stone to further fight for civil right for the African-American community when simple everyday basic human rights are being stripped from honest hard working people based on the color of their skin. King also states dissatisfaction of white churches embracing the equality of man but helping in segregating it using the words of God to justify there means for the brutality seen across Birmingham. This clearly pushes why King came to Birmingham as a personal responsibility for making a stand against inequality in the African-American community. In conclusion, Kings arguments to the clergymen’s letter answers to his critics that even though he is subject to much scrutiny and is not shy of the constant questioning and badgering by the majority, he feels by answering them with this letter they will have a better sense of who he is and the position he will play in helping the African-American community in achieving equality and justice. He feels that the methods he’s chosen are precedent with those of other in the past and as to why now is the time achieve these actions. King’s letter was well written with the idea to appeal not just to those who were the oppressors but to uplift those where were being oppressed and to move forward in the their quest for justice.