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letter from birminham jail


             King, as all of you should know by now, was a distinguished Civil Rights leader, and in the April of 1963, he found himself parading for racial equality into downtown Birmingham, Alabama. This, of course, didn't fly too well with local white authority, and not only were protestors/paraders beaten, attacked with dogs, and then jailed, but Dr. King was jailed for parading without a permit. Shortly after these events, 8 prominent Alabama clergymen issued a public statement that condemned King's actions, calling them "unwise and untimely." Dr. King, however, proves in his letter from a Birmingham jail cell that he acted neither unwise, nor untimely, but in a most appropriate, timely manner. Dr. King opens his appeal with the line "My Dear Fellow Clergymen." Dr. King does this for two reasons. First of all, King himself is an avid preacher as well as Christian. When King refers to these men as "Fellow Clergymen," he starts his letter with the principle that, as a clergyman (i.e. somebody who works for God), he stands on equal ground with them. This, in turn, prompts his second reason for opening like this. Dr. King, as I mentioned, inadvertently says he fights for GOD. King isn't stupid; he realizes that by evoking the name of God - JUSTICE, that is - he implies he's in the right. With this said, he addresses the clergymen's criticism:.
             In this first paragraph, King says that not only does he not normally respond to criticism, but he respects his critics as well. If he shows he respects them and will actually take the time to address their concerns, maybe they'll hear him out.
            


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