The letter was written by Martin Luther King Jr addressed to the eight clergy men following his arrest together with some of his followers in protest to the law of segregation. He wrote the letter in response to their critic of his actions where they found his actions unwise and untimely. He referred to the clergy men as men of genuine good will and therefore used logos to explain to them the steps they followed before they engaged in non-violent direct actions. Being aware of the clergy men’s understanding of the civil process he outlined the reason behind every step hoping they would be able to reason with him. He was very rhetoric in his outline of the measures he took to ensure that all his followers engage in a non-violent protest.
He explained his choice of the areas they would gather and the reason behind his timing. He expressed how they had postponed the demonstrations for long and he had nothing against the new administration, they were however segregationists also and likely to observe the status quo. Therefore he found no reason to postpone the direct actions again. He supported this reason explaining how they had pushed for a dialogue and they were always told to wait which he said meant no. Martin Luther King Jr expressed how they had run out of patience because Birmingham was the most highly segregated city in the United States and the privileged groups could not give away the privileges voluntarily.
Mr. Martin Luther King Jr applied pathos to make his feelings and those of his fellow black men known to the clergy men. He expressed his pain of having to sleep in a car because there were no motels that could accommodate black people. He strongly expressed how he could not turn his eyes while his mother, his brothers and sisters were being mistreated. He justified his presence in Birmingham saying his mission as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference called for him to be there on official purpose as they needed his help. He also stresses that being an American citizen he has a right to be in any city. He explained how he lacked words to explain to his children why they could not access some facilities and why they were being treated differently. He tried to make the clergy men to connect with his feelings and be humane about the matters affecting the black people.
Martin Luther King Jr used ethos to respond to the clergy men’s concern. As a human rights activist and a church leader, he felt it was his responsibility to address the matters affecting his people. In his response to their concerns he said” I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (Martin Luther King Jr, 78).His position made him influential enough to be able to connect with the black masses, he felt it was ideal for them to demand for justice even if they may not see it now, the future generations will enjoy a democratic nation where the blacks are not discriminated and the police brutality against the blacks will be called off.
References
Turner, Rhetorical Analysis Example, wr1ter.com, 2019
https://wr1ter.com/
King, The Atlantic Monthly; The Negro Is Your Brother, Volume 212, No. 2; pages 78 – 88. August, 1963
Norton, Letter from Birmingham Jail, Quizlet, nd
https://quizlet.com/74971745/letter-from-birmingham-jail-flash-cards/