Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his letter from the Birmingham jail cell in response to criticisms made by a group clergymen who claimed that, while they agreed with King’s ultimate aims in trying to get more rights for African Americans, they did not agree with his methods. Their sentiments also reflect those of the wider population who believed that King and other protestors were not acting appropriately. The letter is his response to those clergymen.
First, King responds to the criticism that he is an outsider who does not belong in Birmingham. His response to this is not only that he was invited to Birmingham, but also that he sees injustice in Birmingham, and “injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere.”
Another criticism King responds to is simply that the clergymen “deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham.” King seems to agree that it is unfortunate that the demonstrations have to take place, however, he says, the critics should be more concerned with the underlying causes that make it necessary to demonstrate. King cannot deny that injustice exists, so he knows demonstrations are necessary to make a change when attempted negotiations fell through. King also suggests that the clergymen would be opposed to their method of direct action. In responding to this, he says that he hopes their direct action will lead to a negotiation where the injustices can be resolved.
The timing of the demonstrations is another point of criticism. King provides many reasons for why the protestors took action when they did, but one reason is that they “have waited for more than 340 years for (their) constitutional and God-given rights,” so they should not have to wait any longer. He wonders if his critics had to see “vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim,” then perhaps they would see the need for fast action. King cannot afford to wait any longer and watch more of his people die and suffer.
No comments:
Post a Comment