Category: Martin Luther King

Introduction

This journal entry focuses on the historic speech that was delivered by Martin Luther King Jr at the Lincoln Memorial. It highlights moments that characterized the delivery of the I Have a Dream speech. The crowd anticipated positive and inspirational declarations from the iconic leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America (Hansen, 2009). Kings charismatic demeanor inspired many people to believe in the future devoid of discrimination and oppression. It is important to note that the speech had a great influence on protesters because it ignited inherent desire and resolution with regard to the realization of current objectives that anchored the Civil Rights Movement. In order to achieve his objectives, Dr. King delivered an elaborate speech that gave hope to millions of citizens who were victims of racism and other forms of oppression in American society (Hansen, 2009).

The speech created the impetus for the pursuit and actualization of core ideals that espoused the Civil Rights Movement. Through his speech, Dr. King propagated a demonstrable resolve with regard to the propagation of equality, justice, and fairness in society. Unlike previous presentations, the speech had an influence on the overall realization and implementation of statutory provisions that were critical to the sustenance of equality and justice in society. In fact, equality and justice play an important role in ensuring harmonious coexistence in a social context. The speech demonstrated Dr. Kings passion and dedication to the Civil Rights Movement (Hansen, 2009).

Discussion

The speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was inspirational and momentous because it captured the current realities of the civil rights in our society. The crowd that gathered at Lincoln Memorial gave rousing reception and approval of the speaker because they could connect with the message of Dr. Kings presentation. I was lucky to witness the events at Lincoln Memorial. During the speech, Dr. King was visibly ecstatic and certain of the message that he delivered to his audience. He commenced the presentation by outlining numerous issues and challenges that were evident in American society (Hansen, 2009).

His initial remarks revolved around freedom, equal treatment, and propagation of justice in social, political, and economic spheres of life. He advocated for laws that would recognize racial and social dynamics that were evident in American society. His message sought to entrench desire for equal treatment with regard to crucial areas of engagement, such as the delivery of social services and access to employment opportunities. The reception from the audience gave credence to the existence of ills that Dr. King was articulating in his famous speech (Hansen, 2009).

In his presentation, Dr. King sought to assure the people of his unreserved support and resolve towards the realization of core ideals that had inspired the establishment of the Civil Rights Movement. He demonstrated immeasurable confidence and faith in the future. Dr. King understood his duty and responsibility as a leader and mentor to millions of people who were suffering due to inconsistent and discriminative laws. Although his assertions seemed to be farfetched, Dr. King managed to inspire the audience through his rhythmic and well-planned presentation. His stamina and oratory prowess played an important role in ensuring successful delivery and internalization of the presentation. In the absence of such stylistic and tactical inclinations, it would have been difficult for Dr. King to provoke interest and approval from the audience (Hansen, 2009).

Another important aspect was his ability to tackle issues that were relevant to prevailing circumstances in American society. As Dr. King commenced his presentation, it was evident that the audience yearned for relevant declarations that would ultimately improve existential parameters in society. The eager and enthusiastic crowd gave approval to every word that he pronounced in the course of his presentation. Throughout his speech, Dr. King displayed passion and genuine desire for realization and propagation of ideals that would ultimately guarantee a future devoid of discrimination and unfair treatment against Americans of African descent. The captivating presentation embodied ideals and aspirations that were not only relevant to America but also to other societies around the world (Hansen, 2009).

Dr. King was assured that American society would realize its folly with regard to racial discrimination and unfair treatment against segments of its citizenry. He decried the recurrent unfair treatment towards citizens in pertinent areas of national interest such as healthcare and emolument. He also envisioned a society that would offer opportunities to all citizens irrespective of racial, political, and religious considerations. He reiterated his belief with regard to the propagation of equality in social, political, and economic undertakings (Miller, 2012).

The presentation played a critical role in restoring hope among citizens who faced numerous challenges in terms of discrimination and other forms of unfair treatment. He presented facts that motivated the audience to support justice and equal treatment in a societal context. In order to inspire his audience, Dr. King mentioned key areas that were critical to citizens. He outlined his desire for a better future with regard to areas that were fraught with discriminative tendencies (Miller, 2012).

Such assurance was necessary because it gave hope to millions of Americans who were victims of injustice and unfair treatment on account of race and creed. Dr. Kings presentation gave rise to renewed propagation of the rule of law in the United States and the world at large. It inspired citizens to struggle against racial discrimination in society. This reality was captured in his presentation. He sought to highlight the extent and severity of racial segregation in American society (Miller, 2012).

Conclusion

As earlier mentioned, Dr. Kings speech gave rise to candid evaluation with regard to racial discrimination in the United States of America. Citizens of African descent were subjected to inhumane existential parameters in pertinent areas of engagement in society. In fact, such realities gave credence to the establishment and sustenance of the Civil Rights Movement (Miller, 2012). Dr. Kings presentation enshrined important areas of interest with regard to the realization of core objectives in the context of civil rights and liberties in the United States of America. The landmark speech highlighted numerous grievances that required action by authorities in order to guarantee positive action and appropriate intervention. It also created the impetus for individual intervention and action towards sustenance and propagation of equality and fairness in society (Miller, 2012).

In my understanding, the I Have a Dream speech was a representation of the overall desire for action towards the realization of ideals and aspirations that embodied the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

References

Hansen, D. (2009). The Dream. Newyork: HarperCollins. Web.

Miller, K. (2012). Martin Luther Kings Biblical Epic: His Final, Great Speech. Mississippi: Univ. Press of Mississippi. Web.

Introduction

Speech is an essential way to persuade and deliver information to the audience. It helps a speaker to share his/her thoughts and ideas about a current situation or any other matter. It was born in ancient Greece (Saxonhouse, 2005). However, the complexity and importance dramatically evoked, as it is the primary way of communication between the leader and the audience.

It could be said that all of the leaders were successful speakers since they were able to provide the audience with thrilling examples and arguments (Carnegie, 2011). One of them is Martin Luther King. The presentation pays close attention to him the most famous speech I have a dream. He inspired people to improve the current conditions and change the reality to the better world. The analysis of the speech helps to understand various tools and techniques, which he implemented to find the way to reach the audience.

Introduction of the Speech

It is important to include an introduction to every speech, as it provides general ideas about the topic and gives a listener an understanding of the speakers intentions. The speech of Martin Luther King could be divided into several parts.

The first part shows that he is thankful to stand in front of the audience. Moreover, he uses the pronoun We to show the unity of the nation in the United States of America (King, 2015, para.1). It could be said that after that, he continues with the main topic. He focuses on Emancipation Proclamation and its influence on slavery situation in the country.

The next step of Martin Luther King is to deliver his main point to the audience. He claims that despite the freedom African Americans are still discriminated, and their rights are not respected in the modern society. In order to emphasize the significance of the problem, he uses parallel sentence structure such as One hundred years later (King, 2015, para. 3). He strongly suggests that nothing has changed in one hundred years.

Attention-getting method

It is vital for a speaker to attract the attention of the audience from his/her first words. As it was mentioned previously, Martin Luther King thanks the audience and then continues with the description of the problem.

Starting with the persuasive description of the problem is crucial, as it delivers the main thoughts and ideas of the speaker to the audience (Morreale, 2010). It is critical to keep the audience focused on the issue. In this case, parallelism is used. There are three sentences, which start with One hundred years later (King, 2015, para.3). It is clear that Martin Luther King implies nothing changed in a century. This method is rather stable, as it allows people to understand that the problem still exists, and the situation has to change. Additionally, he also uses the word Negro multiple times (King, 2015, para. 3). Listeners could establish a connection between two repetitive words and understand the fundamental aspects of the problem, as racial problems still exist in America.

Transitions

Transition words and phrases are used to connect logically sentences with each other (Transitional words and phrases, 2014). One of the examples is And so weve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition (King, 2015, para. 3). And so is a sequential transition, which is used to describe the conclusion. It could be said that Martin Luther King use this phrase multiple times to highlight the conclusion, And so, weve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice (King, 2015, para.5).

But is another transition, which shows contrast (Transitional words and phrases, 2014). But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt, Martin Luther King says (King, 2015, para.5). This sentence allows the listeners to understand a current problem.

List of Transitions

• But, it is an adversative transition (King, 2015, para.3).
• And so is an effect (King, 2015, para.5).
• Still is a concession (King, 2015, para. 3).
• Also is an addition (King, 2015, para. 6).

Moreover, as it was mentioned earlier, repletion of the certain phrases can be referred as transitions. Although, it has to be said that not only emphasize the importance of the issue but also show the connections between the sentences.

Various conclusion techniques

There are different techniques, which could be used for the conclusion, such as a rhetorical question, quotation, humor, and request for action (Conclusion techniques, 2015). As for Martin Luther King speech, it could be said that he finishes it with the citation: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! (King, 2015, para. 31). This quotation helps to understand a primary intention of the speech. This quote helps the speaker show his emotions and has a particular effect on the audience.

Moreover, as a speech is persuasive, it could be concluded that Martin Luther King requests a possible action from the audience. The passion and emotionality expressed in the quote might be the key drivers for the successful change of the situation.

Effectiveness of the speech

Speaking of the effectiveness, it could be said that the speech was successful. On the picture displayed on the slide, it could be seen that the crowd surrounds the leader (What Dr. King can teach us about acting, 2015). From the emotions displayed on the peoples faces, it could be noticed that the speech had an individual impact and gave people hope for a better future.

As for the use of various techniques, the speech is rich in examples and quotes. These techniques help the listeners to understand and support ideas of Martin Luther King.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it could be said that in order to be effective speech has to use various sentence structures and techniques. Moreover, using sentence parallelism is also one of the efficient methods, as it helps the speaker emphasize a significance of the issue. Additionally, usage of the word we shows equality of all members of society and brings the leader closer to the public. All of these techniques were implemented in Martin Luther Kings speech. These facts allowed him to deliver a persuasive message and change the history of the United States of America.

References

Carnegie, D. (2011). Stand and deliver: How to become a masterful communicator and public speaker. New York, NY: Simon & Shuster.

Conclusion techniques. (2015). Web.

King, M. (2015). I have a dream.

Morreale, S. (2010). The competent public speaker. New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.

Saxonhouse, A. (2005). Free speech and democracy in Ancient Athens. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Transitional words and phrases. (2014).

What Dr. King can teach us about acting [Image]. (n.d.). Web.

Introduction

In April 1963, Negro demonstrations took place in Birmingham under the leadership of Martin Luther King. Eight clerics from different religions issued an open letter to King asking him to stop the demonstrations. In their message, they advocated obedience to court decisions on racial issues, criticized visitors for organizing demonstrations, and praised the calm actions of the police and authorities during them. Luther refused to end the peaceful demonstrations and was sent to prison, where he wrote his answer to the clergymen. His speech Letter from Birmingham Jail had an immense impact on the Civil Rights movement and the issue of racial discrimination in America.

Main body

In his speech, King used a variety of rhetorical techniques to convince not only the clergymen but the rest of the American people too. He expertly appeals to ethos with credibility, pathos for emotions, and logos as reasoning. With these tools, King succeeded in conveying his idea of injustice towards the Black people to Americans, thus gaining the necessary support for the Civil Rights movement. Different forms of rhetorical appeal helped him to provide strong argumentation with both factual and subjective information, which only served to increase the credibility of his speech. In this part of his speech, he applies parallelism: When you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will; when you have seen hate-filled policemen kill your black brothers and sisters? (2). There, he continues to use when you to highlight the myriad ways the Blacks are mistreated by society.

This expert use of such symbolic tool as parallelism truly gets the audience, as it emphasizes the endless struggle the Blacks have to face. Moreover, the repetition provides a feeling as if it is something common for them, a routine they have no choice but to endure. Then, there are brilliant metaphors in Kings writing, such as the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society (2). With this metaphor, King beautifully creates a mental image for his audience  a picture of oppression that never ends. The Blacks have to watch helplessly as the White people get all the freedoms and privileges simply because they have the right skin color, while the Blacks have no hope of getting any. In addition, his metaphor of an airtight cage works as a representation of the dehumanization of the Blacks as animals without any rights to claim.

It is easy to see Kings argumentation as more credible and strong than the claims of the clergymen because he has more than enough personal experience of the oppression the Blacks suffer from. His flawless use of metaphors and parallelism allows the reader or the audience to empathize with King and support him in his fight against racial injustice. Moreover, an appeal to pathos also helps King to capture the attention of his audience through an emotional connection to everything the Black people went through throughout the history of the country. King explores and explains his own experiences of injustice, violence, and oppression with clarity and raw emotion. Thus, his audience gets the opportunity to see the issue for what it is, understand it, and, by understanding it, adhere to Kings views rather than the clergymens.

Discrimination and segregation are the processes that impact everyones lives, not only the Blacks. King explains this to his audience with these words: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere (1). It might seem that race is the center point of the injustice, but in reality, it affects everyone, especially in the late XX century. No nation can truly develop and prosper if part of it is oppressed. Dr. King examines the impact of segregation and racism on society as a union, thus making his audience able to see the barriers that stand in the way of the future. Pathos is the ultimate tool that King uses to make the people understand his point of view, which allows them, in turn, to sympathize with those who experience this injustice on a daily basis.

Such appeal to emotions and basic humanity made it possible for King to achieve strong support for the Civil Rights movement, as well as his own actions. For clergymen and the entire American nation to believe and support his arguments, King had to have the strongest factual and logical basis. That is where logos comes into the picture, with Kings words: There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in this nation (1). With the harsh truth about the violence spreading steadily in Birmingham, King establishes a strong logical base for his arguments, which, in turn, greatly improves the credibility of his speech.

Conclusion

During the 1960s, Martin Luther King was one of the key speakers and the most influential figure of the Civil Rights movement. With his many speeches, he effectively conveyed to the American nation the issue of racial injustice toward Black people. He advocated for peaceful protests that were crucial to the movement and explained the necessary actions needed to be taken in order to establish equality in the United States. The rhetorical tools allowed him to bring his ideas into the light with a strong base of argumentation, logic, and emotional appeal. Expert, comprehensive use of ethos, pathos, and logos provided his speeches with all the rhetorical strength and emphasis he needed to make his audience understand his views  and, more importantly, agree with them. Without his Letter from Birmingham Jail, there would be considerably less influence behind the Civil Rights movement it needed to make any substantial changes.

Work Cited

King, Martin Luther, Jr. Letter from the Birmingham Jail. Harper San Francisco, 1994.

Martin Luther King is optimistic that African Americans will have basic rights including voting and other social rights in the future. Such rights will allow African Americans to vote, live in good neighborhoods and interact with White Americans without any discrimination (Gates 107).

In a perfect society, all Americans will be treated equally by the constitution. According to Martin Luther, freedom is about people being judged based on their characters, but not ethnicity (Gates 107). In a perfect society, the constitution will protect all citizens equally. Martin Luther defines freedom as the ability to live how individuals want and to attend any school or motel of choice without restrictions based on race (Gates 108). Luther urges people not rest until freedom is attained.

The speech I have a dream by Martin Luther King continues to challenge leaders today (Hansen 23). Today, this speech has continually challenged Americans to recognize everybodys potential in areas of politics and leadership among other fields.

However, cases of police brutality and incarceration of African Americans are relative high in the American society today (Gates 109). Just recently, there was an African American young man who was shot three times in the neighborhood for walking in Whites settlements. When lobby groups enquired about this incidence, police officers argued that the boy was a criminal. This is an indication that Americans have not yet attained freedom.

The coming of President Obama to power has given most African Americans hope (Gates 109). In fact, the number of African Americans who turned out to vote in the last election is an indicator that Americans are ready to attain freedom. Evidently, Africans and White Americans are now getting to a level where they are putting their differences aside for development.

Works Cited

Gates, Louis. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York, NY: Norton press, 2004. Print.

Hansen, Drew. The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Speech that Inspired a Nation. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2003. Print.

An analysis of the required passage from A Letter from a Birmingham City Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. proposes two distinct arguments: that segregation is lawfully unjust and that segregation is morally unjust. He presents his argument against following the concept of segregation on the basis that it both lawfully and morally unjust and thus does not possess the needed justification to actually be followed.

The argument and the evidence supporting them thus follow the following format:

1st argument:

P: Segregation lawfully wrong and unjust (King Jr., 1).

C: A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God (King Jr., 1).

C: An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law (King Jr., 1).

C: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law (King Jr., 1).

C: Segregation is an existential expression of mans tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness (King Jr., 1).

C: Any law that uplifts human personality is just (King Jr., 1).

C: Any law that degrades human personality is unjust (King Jr., 1).

C: All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality (King Jr., 1).

P: Segregation is morally wrong and unjust (King Jr., 1).

C: It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority (King Jr., 1).

C: Segregation ends up relegating persons to the status of things (King Jr., 1).

C: Segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful (King Jr., 1).

Examining the Arguments presented by Martin Luther King Jr.

It must first be noted that the arguments and their basis are actually a form of ethos; the concept of ethos can be described as a form of guiding beliefs that are an inherent part of a community or nations character. It is used as a guide that influences a persons behavior to such an extent that by examining the ethos behind a culture you can determine how they will react based on a given situation. In this particular case, the ethos behind the actions of Martin Luther King Jr. is that advocated by the African American civil rights movement whose ethos is the end of racial segregation, equal treatment in society as well as equality in all other forms of business, education, other forms of benefits accorded to Caucasians.

It is on the basis of this particular ethos that Martin Luther King Jr. presents the argument against segregation due to its unlawful nature and immoral effects on the African American population. As can be seen in the contents of the passage such an argument is clearly embedded in the advocated ethos of the African American civil rights movement and as such follows the same pattern in demanding the freedoms believed in to be a God-given right as indicated by the ethos he stands by.

What must first be understood is that laws were created to maintain the structure of society yet not all social structures are inherently good. For example, the society of Sparta had a law that required Spartan men to be trained in the art of combat from an early age and be part of the Spartan army. It also had an inherent social law that dictated that marriages between Spartans had to be arranged before birth and that Spartan women on the night of their wedding have to wait in their home bald and wrestle the Spartan male who came to claim her, after which she was forcefully taken from her home and summarily raped in accordance with ancient customs. While in the modern era such laws are considered morally unjust and irreprehensible they were in fact a necessity at the time in order to help maintain the Spartan state and considered morally and legally just.

The basis of Kings argument is one that advocates moral code, natural law, eternal law, and the sinfulness of segregation; in no part does he actually mention the previous need to maintain segregation in order to ensure the continued existence of American society. Racial segregation, epitomized by the Jimmy Crow laws, was actually put into practice under the assumption of ensuring the continued survival of the state. The fact remains that all laws created by the state are in one way or another created to ensure its continued existence. Without inherent laws in places, any country would rapidly descend into anarchy.

Basing an argument against a particular law on its wrongness or being unjust is slightly fallacious since all laws created by the state can one way or another be interpreted as being unjust yet are there in order to ensure that the states current existence. Thus it can even be said that no set of laws created by a state can be considered completely free from certain aspects considered to be morally wrong or unjust however it can be stated as a fact that they were created in order to ensure stability and thus are accomplishing their purpose despite objections regarding their unjustness.

In the second argument, it can clearly be seen that King is basing the moral unjustness represented by segregation on the ethos of the African American Civil rights movement. It must be noted that ethos can also refer to the way in which a person portrays themselves in an argument, in a sense that it is a method in which persuaders present an image to people that they are attempting to persuade. This particular image refers to a persuaders character in the sense that a person is attempting to persuade another person of the righteousness of their statements based on their inherent character.

In these particular cases King presents the argument that on the basis of the African American people being human, the same as the Caucasian, they are entitled to the same rights that the whites do. Thus the image being presented is one of humanity wherein it can be seen that the character being referred to here is a persons inherent humanity and the right to be treated equally on basis of being human.

What must be understood though is that through the examination of the historical nature of ethos it can be seen that in one way or another despite the apparent ethical appearance of a certain type of ethos there is always an underlying reason behind its creation which does in fact create a beneficial effect for the individuals that created it. Ethos is not something that is inherent but rather something that has been created and manufactured with a surface image in order to fulfill a particular purpose. It is often utilized as a method of convincing people or justifying a particular set of actions and as such, it is crafted in such a way so as to be convincing, believable, and thus adaptable.

While in the second argument King justifies his actions on the basis of ethics and immorality the fact remains that the ethos he abides by was in fact created for a specific purpose that is not inherently ethical but rather beneficial. As seen by the evidence presented by history, the ethos of the African American civil rights movement did, in fact, benefit the black population within the U.S. Thus it can be seen that the basis of Martin Luther King Jrs arguments is not one coming from a place of pure ethical consideration but rather one aimed at benefitting a specific segment of the population.

Works Cited

King Jr, Martin Luther.  Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.]. AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, 1963. Web.

The aspect of social contract theory can be stated as an orientation. Here it is has been observed that people will respect the fact that other may have different perspective and opinions. In this stage, the choices made by each individual are not judged as correct or wrong. Here the rules and regulations, as well as the law, are social guidelines rather than strict dictums. Here is what is called democracy. Rousseau and King worked on this principle but under different circumstances.

Jean Jacques Rousseau, who believed that a man has a passionate and emotional side, was born in Geneva, Switzerland on June 18, 1712. This philosopher wrote different books and concepts about man as an individual and man as part of society. His Social Contract is one of the most intriguing writings of Rousseau because he defends man, though being part of the society has its own right in terms of privacy. One of the most famous lines of Rousseau was Never exceed your rights, and they will soon become unlimited (Rousseau, p.1).

He said these in relation to his Social Contract. His point in this statement is that everyone must take their steps one at a time. Everything should be done carefully at the right time and in the right places so that it will be meaningful and productive. His writings made a divergence in different parts of the world. He became popular and famous with the help of these writings. One of his writings or stories was entitled Confessions. This story is about the life of a man. He confessed everything about his life. It can also be a form of a biography of the narrator or maybe the author himself. He pointed different things in this story  his life, journey, and beliefs. It is sometimes said that the sword wears out the scabbard. That is my history. My passions have made me live, and my passions have killed me (Lawall, p. 676). Rationality in life is the most important aspect of living for Rousseau. After all, logic and rationality was not the only answer to living a better life. There is something better from thinking and reasoning. This is what I have done, what I have thought, what I was. I have told the good and bad with equal frankness. I have neither have omitted anything bad nor interpolated anything good. If I have occasionally made use of some immaterial embellishments, this has only been in order to fill a gap caused by lack of memory (Lawall, p. 664).With these lines, there is a realization about the effects of his situation. The narrator witnessed his own journey and this journey made him believed that living is not always a form of reasoning and logic. Sometimes, as humans, we need to rest our minds for more important things to think of.

On the other hand, Martin Luther King Jr. was to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s what Jean Jacques Rousseau was to the French Revolution in the 18th century. He was a charismatic, dedicated intelligent, and religious human being. He had immensely inspired the confidence of the American public in the last century. He invoked the basic morals of the Americans and led civil rights activities in a non-violent manner. He helped to unify the people of the USA in troubled times, guiding them at every step in time.

He also took part in the student sit-in movement in 1960 and was later arrested for it. He had to stay for some time in the prison after which he was released. He constantly took part in various non-violent protests and was awarded the Noble Peace Prize in 1964. This was a very important year as the civil rights movement had gained widespread support and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was finally passed (Bostdorff, pp. 661-67).

Rousseau, similarly, had noticed a lot of fundamental differences between human nature and society. He believed that humans were better when an individual is in a state of nature. It is the common state of all the other animals and is the condition humans were in long before the beginning of society and civilization itself. The idea of his has often been led to assigning the use of noble savage to him. He, however never used this expression himself and it does not properly present his thinking for the natural goodness of all humankind. His idea concerning natural goodness is complicated and thus, very easily misunderstood.

An informal reading of his work suggests that his ideas do not simply mean that humans in this state of nature always act morally. On the contrary, terms, like wickedness or justice, are merely not applicable to pre-political societies. Humans, there can behave like a ferocious animals. They are nice since they are self-contained and are, thus, are not the focal point to the frailties of the political society. Rousseau viewed society as an artificial entity and thought that the growth of any society, mainly the development of public interdependence, is unfavorable for the welfare of humans (Rousseau, pp. 133-5).

In 1695, the African Americans started to withdraw their support from Martin Luther King Jr. as they were becoming more and more impatient with his ways of non-violent resistance. In 1965, during the Alabama march for voting rights of the people, opposition towards him became more widespread when the state troopers confronted the marchers, led by him, and they only kneeled down to pray and then left. The radical group of African Americans alleged that Martin Luther King Jr. should have behaved differently. As the Black Power movement became stronger, he started to become a controversial figure.

Martin Luther King Jr. immensely cared about the people of the USA and thus, wholeheartedly opposed the Vietnam War, which spoiled his relations with the administration. His focus was on the poor, of the various races in the USA, and had worked out a plan to organize the Poor Peoples March on Washington in 1968. During the time of the civil rights movement, he had captivated the nation with his powerful philosophy and his commitment to the methods of non-violence. He also proved that only by non-violence, racial segregation can be forever be terminated from society. Martin Luther Kings ideas about non-violence were similar to that of Jean Jacques Rousseaus ideas given in The Social contract. He realizes that although the power of human love is a driving force, it was not enough to resolve the various social problems and ills. The power of human love could be applied to stop conflicts between individuals but not for the whole nation or the racial groups. He was also motivated by Mahatma Gandhis concept of Satyagraha, which means both truth-force and love force.

Similarly, the goodness of humankind is like the goodness of the animals and not of their virtue, which has been clearly mentioned in The Social Contract. A very extraordinary change in man is produced in the passage, which is from the state of nature to the civil state. Here justice has been substituted for instinct in mans conduct and his actions have been given morality, which they formally lacked. He also instead of listening only to his inclinations consults his reasoning power. Even though being in this state man is deprived of certain advantages he had earlier got from nature, he gains a lot, more which develops and stimulates his faculties. His ideas are extended, his feelings are dignified and his entire soul is lifted up. Rousseau believed that only in the context of corruption of the society and the individual of the society there is a chance of failure of the social contract. On the other hand, amour proper is not natural, but artificial. It pushes man to judge himself against others creating unnecessary fear and allowing humans to enjoy while others are in pain and are suffering (Rousseau, pp. 137-8).

He said that the advancements in the various fields of knowledge have made the governments more and more powerful letting them squash a persons liberty. In his The Social Contract, Rousseau creates concepts of equality and personal liberty. He believed, in order to obey the natural state of man and for the total survival of a state, we continuously need to change our ideas of equality. Poor representation of some citizens, in the interest of the state, is clearly shown as an exit way for leaving the society. This was Rousseaus political way to stabilize the inconsistent relations in the self-interest of the people and for the expansion of political freedom. When the minorities leave a state, its survival and the various reasons for creating conflict forever remain unchecked.

In The Social Contract, he also pays a lot of attention to shifting individual rights onto the formation of the state. When the state has been created, it should be due to the realization that the different elements humans cannot handle on their own can be handled better by an added centralized power, which is the state. However, Rousseau also believed that the state could fail humans at certain times and it should never enjoy an unequal share of power in comparison to the humans in the previous state of nature. If humans gave up their liberty then it would mean that they are giving up their ability to negotiate with other members of the state. This would be like slavery (Noone, pp. 68-70).

King believed that the Christian principles of love together with the method of non-violence were the only effective weapon that was available to the demoralized people in their fight for freedom. At this time, this earlier logical realization regarding the power of love was also put into use. Non-violent resistance slowly but steadily became the ultimate force behind the boycott movement and he realized that non-violence was the only powerful solution to all of societys problems (Bostdorff, pp. 661-690).

Martin Luther King Jr. realized that there are six important aspects of non-violent resistance. He said that although non-violence may be viewed as a persons cowardliness, it certainly is not so. According to him, a non-violent activist has the same amount of passion as a violent one. Although he is not physically aggressive, his emotions and mind are continuously active, and is relentlessly trying to inform his opponent of his mistakes. He believed that non-violence was meant to create moral shame, as it does not intend to humiliate the opponent but rather gain his trust, understanding, and finally friendship. The use of non-cooperation and boycotts were only ways to arouse a sense of honesty and moral shame in a person. Violent resistances created chaos and a lot of bitterness among the people but non-violence brought about settlement and redemption. Non-violent resistance did bring about suffering and it required the peoples eagerness to suffer. More than safety, people needed to aim for the end of the struggle, and retaliating with violence would only distract people from the actual fight (Kirk, p. 143).

In conclusion, it should be mentioned that both Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Martin Luther King Jr. believed that if people accepted suffering, it would create a number of transforming and educational possibilities. There is also a realization of the fact that life is what we make it. There is no such thing as a deeper explanation of how man lived and survived during his lifetime. There mere fact of living is that you must live your life to the fullest. All of us needs our mind to decide on how our future will be. However, there are certain things in life that sometimes dont need any logician, mathematician, or reasoning aspect of our minds  we just need to take the risk and try to take all the opportunities no matter how hard or risky it will be. The most important thing that we should remember was faith. Faith will bring us to our final destination no matter how good or bad it will be, it will always be our destiny. This would become a strong force in changing the way of thinking of the people. King, particularly, had the opinion that a non-violent protestor was on the side of justice. In addition, since God himself favors those who are true, the non-violent protestors had faith that justice would be served in the near future.

References

1. Rousseau, Jean Jacques; Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News Editorial; 2001. Web.
2. Lawall, Sarah. Norton Anthology of world literature. New York: Norton. 2002
3. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques; The Social Contract: & Discourses; J.M. Dent & sons, ltd., 1920
4. Noone, John B; Rousseaus Social Contract: A Conceptual Analysis; University of Georgia Press, 1981
5. Bostdorff, Denise M & Steven R. Goldzwig; History, Collective Memory, and the Appropriation of Martin Luther King, Jr; Presidential Studies Quarterly, 35, 4, 661-690; The College of Wooster; Marquette University; 2005
6. Kirk, John A; Martin Luther King Jr; Pearson Longman, 2004

Introduction

Dogmatism essentially refers to strict adherence to rules and procedures at the expense of reason and alternative views. The opposite of dogmatism can therefore be referred to as rationalism. Dogmatism is essentially a leadership approach practiced by many leaders across the globe and has its own advantages and disadvantages.

This study will however focus on the dangers of dogmatism with regards to the leadership approaches adopted by Martin Luther King Jr and Plato. This analysis will be analyzed in two segments of the study where the first approach will analyze Martin Luther King Jr and the second part will analyze Plato.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King contributed a lot to Americas civil rights movements and because of his contribution; he continues to receive immense acclamation to date. Some of the most memorable iconic events in Kings life were the Montgomery bus boycott and the historic march to Washington where he addressed close to a quarter million people in the I have a dream speech (Hall 1). Most of Kings beliefs can be traced to the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi who also fought for the same course he did (Hall 1).

Kings time as a civil rights leader was characterized by fearless fights against the government and social injustices which evidently brought him a lot of trouble in the eyes of the law and which ultimately caused him his life. Some of Kings boldest opposition against social repression and the government earned him the title of the most effective and notorious Negro leader who existed in his time (Hall 10).

However, it is important to note that King had an unfound positivism in reason that consequently provides the background to this study because he was in open opposition to dogmatism which was advocated by leaders who tried to silence his activities.

The letter from Birmingham is one main event which is characteristic of Kings civil rights movements. The letter from Birmingham is essentially a representation of Kings opposition to dogmatism which was also being advocated by other civil rights leaders.

The letter of Birmingham was a letter written in response to specific clergymen from Alabama who were in contempt of Kings civil rights actions which were being carried out in the streets. It was written in April 12^th 1963 in response to recommendations by the clergymen that King should have undertaken his civil rights fight in court and not on the streets (Hall 17). This point of view was characteristic of dogmatism where the law was upheld at the expense of reason.

The courts signified an oppressive channel where civil rights causes could not be achieved because of the prejudice and injustices that existed in the judicial systems at the time. In fact, this sentiment was also harbored by King because in a section of the letter, he made the clergymen know that the aims of his civil rights movements could not be achieved in the courts but on the streets (Hall 17).

This viewpoint can be equated to reason because the Alabama clergymen were not heeding to reason when advising King to take his civil rights fights to court. Moreover, King justified his pursuit of justice on the streets from the fact that the protests he organized were essentially peaceful and nonviolent; meaning that all he was trying to do was get his message across to the leaders in the most peaceful manner possible.

Moreover, King justified his street actions through the letter after identifying that the courts were basically very slow and therefore, waiting to get justice through the system almost meant that the people would not get justice altogether. According to him, he was justified to protest on the streets because he was essentially advocating for the repeal of unjust laws which were repugnant to justice. In fact, the letter is quoted as having contained the famous statement, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere (Hall 18)

Kings refusal to pursue other means to undertake his civil rights activities exposed his inclination to reason (a diversion from dogmatism) which was blind to any alternative means to coerce him out of his main objective of liberating the oppressed. This is the scenario evidenced from the Letter from Birmingham jail where he wrote to express his opposition to people who thought that his civil rights acts were unwise and untimely (Hall 24).

In fact, his unstoppable quest to liberate the oppressed can be generally perceived as inconsistent with the will of a minority people who wanted to maintain status quo by denying the people justice through the courts. The diversionary tact advocated by the clergymen was blatantly illogical, considering the courts were also a means to oppress the poor and deny them justice.

Plato

Plato was a world-renowned Greek philosopher who had a significant contribution to basic disciplines such as epistemology, metaphysics and other others (Hare 1). Most of the current western philosophic composition and scientific developments were basically built on Platos philosophies.

There is enough evidence (based on Platos life) of his open refusal to heed to unjustified claims to convict Socrates, who was one of his teacher (through an analogy of the Trial and death of Socrates). The trial and death of Socrates essentially talks of two unjustified claims that were used to try and sentence Socrates to death (Jowett 1).

Since Plato was one of Socrates students, Plato gives a firsthand account of the trial of Socrates, although evidently, through his narration of the trials, he portrays Socrates in a positive light. This portrayal categorizes Plato as a unique leader who essentially fights dogmatism (though not firsthand).

This fact is affirmed by the fact that Socrates trial and death was essentially aimed at upholding dogmatism because it was not based on reason but rather a bunch of false allegations that were aimed at silencing him. Platos open portrayal of this fact clearly manifests his intention to uphold reason in the midst of mediocrity.

These factors withstanding, it is important to note that Plato significantly underscores the dangers of dogmatism because they essential go against it, even though the issue in contention was essentially highly politically charged and with significant consequences. This can be evidenced from the fact that Socrates was sentenced to death on false grounds because he was also against dogmatism (Jowett 1). Plato upholds this view.

In Platos Republic, we can also see how Plato underscores the dangers of dogmatism when he tries to establish the concept of justice by identifying whether just people are happier than unjust people (Cornford 2). After undertaking this research, Plato identifies that justice is better than injustice.

From this point of view, we can see that Plato is more sympathetic to reason as opposed to rules and procedures which essentially define the concept of dogmatism. However, the empirical reality is that justice is not an obvious reality for most people and even though many people struggle to attain it, it comes at a high price. This is comparatively the concept Plato tried to underscore in his republican excerpt, where he advocates for justice (which comes at a high price) (Cornford 2).

Conclusion

This study notes that dogmatism has a lot of dangers if it is succinctly followed. However, Plato and King actually underscore its dangers by advocating for principles that are against dogmatism. King underscores the dangers of dogmatism from the fact that he heeds to reason at the expense of bureaucracy and the law. This is evidenced from the fact that he refuses to listen to the Alabama clergymen who proposed that he takes his civil rights fights to the corridors of justice, as opposed to the streets.

He therefore writes the Letter of Birmingham to protest against this view, even though he was in jail for organizing such protests in the first place. The danger of dogmatism can be evidenced from the fact that he was jailed for organizing civil rights protests in the first place, but his quest to fight on, against all odds, is a significant diversion from the ordinary (because he was oblivious to the consequences that may befall him if he continued to do so).

Plato also exposes the same concept of anti-dogmatism approaches from the trial of Socrates because Socrates was tried and sentenced to death for advocating for reason, in spite of the fact that most people at the time were not for the idea of reason over law. Portraying Socrates in a positive light was therefore a big risk for Plato because he could have been pursued in the same manner as Socrates. The same cause is also pursued from excerpts of the Republic where Plato advocates for justice at the expense of injustice.

Comprehensively, we can conclude (by learning from King and Platos bravery in the mid of mediocrity) that though dogmatism has its dangers, it always pays to heed to reason because this is what essentially sets leaders apart from the rest. Evidently, we can see that Martin Luther King is a legend to date and Plato is equally celebrated in his own light. These acclamations are traced from their fight against dogmatism and their bravery as well.

Works Cited

Cornford, MacDonald. The Republic of Plato. Plain Label Books, 1945. Print.

Hall, Michael. Martin Luther King Jr.: Civil Rights Leader. New York: ABDO, 2008. Print.

Hare, Richard. Plato. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982. Print.

Jowett, Benjamin. The Trial and Death of Socrates: Four Dialogues. Barnes and Noble Publishing, 2004. Print.

Martin Luther King Junior and Malcolm X were key figures who went down in history of the United States due to their unprecedented efforts in fighting for civil rights and elimination of racism in America. Each of them had a different method and view of struggling against the social injustices against the blacks. Martin Luther King was a Christian, while Malcolm X was a Muslim, that is why their views were based on their religious backgrounds, and the way they had been brought up by their parents.

Martin Luther King originated from a bourgeois class family, thus he was an educated person, while Malcolm X had been brought up from a humble background, which made him drop out of school and engage in drugs. Martin Luther King Jr. had a peaceful approach towards fighting against social injustices as he believed that they could be eradicated through a dialogue. On the contrary, Malcolm X had a different view, which could be traced back to his upbringing.

He acquired a bitter attitude towards the whites who he believed were the source of his problems. While Martin Luther King insisted on nonviolent resistance or integrationist philosophy, Malcolm X had a strong believe in nationalist and separatist doctrines. Their philosophies resulted in forming contrasting views in the peoples minds in terms of sensibility. Martin Luther Kings philosophy of nonviolence appealed to Americans of the 1960s the most.

Martin Luther Kings philosophy of handling the social injustices was aimed at bringing together blacks and whites as a union. This doctrine had six underlying principles, which guided it. One of them stated that nonviolent protestors should not discredit the opponents but instead look for their understanding and friendship.

He had a strong believe that the only way to overcome a devil was by befriending him. Fighting, according to his view, could not solve the problem but would intensify hatred between the two parties. Violence might murder the murderer, but it would not murder the murder itself; it could kill the liar, but it would not eliminate lie, and violence may murder the dishonest person, but not dishonesty (King, I Have a Dream Speech).

Violence will never be a way out as it will only intensify the problem. Malcolm X believed in the doctrine of separation as a solution to social injustices. In his speech, he said that by working separately, the sincere white people and sincere black people would actually be working together. He proclaimed, Let the sincere whites go and teach nonviolence to white people (Malcolm X The Homecoming Rally of the OAAU).

He further put more emphasis on the doctrine of separation by saying that when money was taken out of the neighborhood in which one lived, the neighborhood in which a person invested his/her money became wealthier and wealthier (Malcolm X The Homecoming Rally of the OAAU).

Therefore, in order for the blacks to control their economy, money should be spent within the neighborhood. Furthermore, according to Malcolm X, dialogue was not the solution to the injustices because the enemy would not hear what you were saying.

He said that, You know you cant communicate if one man is speaking French and the other is speaking German, his language is brutality (Malcolm X The Homecoming Rally of the OAAU). He even advocated for different institutions for the Afro-Americans (Malcolm X The Homecoming Rally of the OAAU). He saw the only way to know the enemys language was by studying his history.

Philosophy of nonviolence advocated by Martin Luther King Junior relied on another principle stating that nonviolent resistance was disposition to undertake suffering without revenging. He believed that one day he would see blacks and whites together. Let us march on segregated schools until every vestige of segregation and inferior education becomes a thing of the past and Negroes and whites study side by side in the socially healing of the classroom (King, Our God is Marching On).

In his speech I Have a Dream he said that, I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by their character (King). He also had a strong faith in achievement of freedom without violence.

Although Malcolm X did not favor violence, he had a strong objection on the subject of nonviolence philosophy on the blacks. In his Interview with Young Socialist Alliance Leaders, he said that, nonviolence is only preached to black Americans and I dont go along with anyone who wants to teach our people nonviolence until someone at the same time is teaching our enemy to be nonviolent (Malcolm). According to him, this could only work if it was done by both parties.

The philosophy of nonviolence by Martin Luther King Junior was the most sensible for this case. His method of addressing social problems was not biased. He looked at both sides equally, and he knew that even if they resorted to violence, the blacks would be outnumbered by the whites. 

The Negro would face the same unchanged conditions, the same squalor and deprivation  the only difference being that bitterness would be more intense (King Our God is Marching On). In comparison to Malcolms separatist philosophy, the Kings one would be most effective because it advocated for bringing the warring parties together.

Malcolm X presented his arguments in favor of the Negros (Malcolm X Twenty Million Black People in Political, Economic and Mental Prison). As a result, the gap between them became even wider. Martin Luther King produced an impression that he was peaceful and idealistic while most of his speeches encouraged the spirit of togetherness between blacks and whites.

Works Cited

King, Martin Luther. I Have a Dream Speech, the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. 28 Aug. 1963. Web.

King, Martin Luther. Our God is Marching On. Montgomery, Alabama. 21 Mar. 1965. Web.

Malcolm X. Interview with Young Socialist Alliance Leaders. 18 Jan. 1965. Web.

Malcolm X. The Homecoming Rally of the OAAU. New York. 29 Nov. 1964. Keynote Address.

Malcolm X. Twenty Million Black People in Political, Economic and Mental Prison. Michigan State University, 23 Jan. 1963. Keynote Speech.

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered a speech I Have a Dream to over 200, 000 civil rights supporters in Washington following a protest march for freedom and jobs. In his speech that lasted 17 minutes, Luther called for racial equality and halt to all manner discrimination.

The speech came at a time when black people in America were facing serious challenges that stretched from racial segregation to slavery to bigotry. At this time, the civil-rights movement in America was expanding rapidly and it came to pas that the speech meant to galvanize the movement. The speech left an indelible imprint in the hearts of many Americans who wanted justice to be their shield and defender.

In fact, as days went by, the speech I Have a Dream by Martin Luther has become one of the most high-ranking and rousing pieces of oratory in American history. Amazingly, when Luther reached midway reading the scripted text, he posed and then abandoned it. Instead, Luther improvised the sections of the speech leading to its making it decipherablethe itinerary through which the words I have a dream fervently replicate.

This essay will examine and analyze Martin Luthers speech I have a dream with am emphasis on speech for voice and rhetoric. Notably, it is imperative to note that Luther argued and supported his clause. Thus, it is also imperative to make out the language he used and the directed audience (Doug 1).

To start with, Luther starts by saying that all men irrespective of their color, race, age or sex are equal. In his speech, Luther repeatedly mentioned the mistreatment of black Americans over a long period. For instance, Luther starts by saying, One hundred year later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination (The Junto Society 1).

He goes on repeatedly calling for equality among all American citizens. Luther goes ahead to state how he visions his four children living in a nation devoid of racism, and the one in which the content of character of a person matters. In his speech, Luther finds historical documents so imperative in defending his argument.

For example, the Emancipation Proclamation set the pace to end slavery in America. The document, which was an executive order and fully enjoying the support of President Lincoln, earmarked a new era in United States by advocating the freeing of slaves in the accomplice states.

In other words, this was the beginning of a new chapter in America, the chapter of equality for African-American. The second historical document stated by Luther was of course, the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. In particular, this document promises liberty and the quest of contentment for all Americans, both black and white (The Junto Society 1).

The entire speech is a masterpiece of rhetoric characterized by a sophisticated voice. In addition, Luther employs numerous descriptive words, instead of unswerving words. Noticeably, the speech is full of metaphors for example, America has given the Negro a bad check, which has come back marked insufficient funds. All this meant to awaken America to the reality of justice and equality, onto the realization that all Americans are equalwhether black or white.

Luther also employs anaphora, that is, the repetition of certain phrases such as Let freedom ring, I have a dream, and With this faith to emphasize on the prevailing circumstances. It is also imperative to note that Luther is addressing all Americans, both white and black, and hence the use of words we and our. In conclusion, Luther urges both black and white Americans to coexist as they have a common destiny (Keith 1).

Works Cited

Doug, DuBrin. I Have a Dream as a Work of Literature. 2011. Web.

Keith, Miller. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968). (n.d.). Web.

The Junto Society. Martin, Luther King Jr. I Have a Dream. August 28, 1963. 2002. Web.

The significance of Martin Luthers letter from his Birmingham state jail was not an ordinary address over the state of affairs or writing to indicate the state of wellbeing in custody. He was quick to emphasize confidently that the reason for writing the letter was not in response to criticism but to the injustice, which was persistent in Birmingham. The reason Martin Luther as the leader of Southern Christian Conference found himself in jail was due to participating in a non-violent direct action involvement.

The letter is a strong response in support of the role of activists in delivering freedom for the people. He also brings out the importance of recognizing need for interrelated states and societies, by presenting the mission of enhancing justice, as a request from affiliated religious groups in Birmingham.

The writer strongly points out that existence of injustice at a certain place is an indirect threat of existing justice in other places. Martin Luther was concern with interrelation of state and justice for all. One clear indication is that people are in a mutually connected system focusing on a single destiny and there is no escape other than focusing on the anticipatable destiny.

The letter clearly indicates how the states disapprove demonstrations but administration lacks concern thus fails to substantiate the required actions against the injustices. Injustice causes people to consider demonstrations such as those by the religious activists at Birmingham. The writing also brings out another side of the situations. Martin Luthers letter is a response to alterations by fellow clergymen (Jackson, p.97).

He strongly points how the state authorities tongue-tie those in authority or religious leaders who are supposed to fight for others rights. They consequently end up failing to react accordingly. He robustly condemns the clergymen for accusations based on the effects of peaceful demonstrations rather than focusing and standing by the reasons that lead to such public reactions.

Comprehensible signals in support of non-violent actions such as the occurrences at Birmingham must first involve compilation of viable facts that clearly indicate existence of injustice, negotiation for change, personal purity on the matter and then direct action eventually if every action fails.

If the clergymen sat together and decided on the procedures as stated in the letter, then they were reacting unreasonably by segregating and allowing racial injustice in Birmingham. The writer also apparently outlines the negligence or unfairness of the courts due to the unjust treatment accorded to members of a certain race particularly the Black Americans (Jackson, p.87).

Just like the contemporary situation, most cases remain unsolved due to injustice or corruption. Segregation against some communities, ethnical or religious groups may persist due to lack of harmony between the leaders from the extreme ends. A good example in Martin Luthers letter is the high rates of attacks on homes and churches of the Black American in Birmingham. The leaders of the blacks were willing to talk through the situation and solve the issues out of good faith, but faced repulsion (Jackson, p.87).

In relation to Jacksons writing (p.88), Martin Luthers letter from the Birmingham jail is a true reflection of current phenomenon where the minority suffer from uncared for requests and broken or empty promises by their leaders. He indicates in the letter how they pressed for elimination of the racial-segregating stores at Birmingham, but influents places a legal postponement of the fulfilments and obligations and eventually the implementation was evaded (Jackson, p.88).

Rules are often a clear legal agreement, but the authorities remain reluctant to react or implement the accord, therefore the same authorities partially implement and abandon the rules later or disregard the proposed rules without consultations.

Just as indicated, in the letter people react or demand through direct action due to shattered hopes and disappointments by their leaders (Jackson, p.88). Direct action means that demonstrators have only one option, that of physically presenting themselves to the authorities to trigger their cognisant that rules require implementation and application.

In the modern United States, one would expect that negotiations exist as the only procedures, thus no need for mass action. The peaceful direct action is an option for seeking or forcing unsuccessful negotiation or demands for the poorly implemented agreements. The action triggers need for negotiations through creation of tension or crisis. Activists plan for direct involvement by strategically finding the colluding instances, where crisis would arise and dramatise the situation for quick responses.

Like todays activists, Martin Luther is in support of constructive non-violent form of tension that causes neutralization of racism and prejudice thus promoting brotherliness (Jackson, p.90). Tensions due to a crisis-packed situation often brings rise to negotiations and solutions. It is a wake-up call for the leaders to live in dialogue.

The clergy inquire why the action had to occur very soon, but from the letter, today people are able to apply similar form of reasoning whereby new administration need to act in a similar manner as the outgoing if not better. The tension created on a past regime must be consistent and thus incumbent administration must correspond similarly to the good administration of the past.

This is for the reason that most leaders are segregationists who aim at maintaining the status quo instead of administering change (Jackson, p.91). According to Jackson (p.91), the letter indicated that the privileged government personas rarely give up their privileges voluntarily.

The required freedom is achievable through demands from the oppressed not freewill of the oppressor. The leaders are fond of the word Wait, and the subsequent waits easily translate to different meaning primarily Never. In the contemporary administrative setting, justice delayed is justice denied. While other countries such as developing countries are speedily implementing new rules, the developed countries such as the U.S. have faced poor growth of political independence (Jackson, p.91).

In response to the allegations that activists who fight segregation are anxious and willing to break laws, the letter clarifies some effects of segregation such as fear. Prejudiced people live in fear of not knowing the probable outcome and live by intimidation. Such persons have inner apprehensions and outer bitterness in fight of ever-degenerating senses.

These situations compromise endurance and causes people to plummet into the abyss of despair, thus failure to practice patience when pleaded to wait. An aspect of waiting fails to resonate in such minds (Jackson, p.93).

The accused activists are actually protesting for adherence to the law by their leaders as opposed to breaking the law. According to Jackson (p.91), it is paradoxical for one to break a law while advocating for another. Todays leaders must realize the existence of just and unjust regulations, and they are obligated to moral practices in support for justice for all and as a responsibly to disobey the unreasonable and unjustifiable rules.

In vindicating justice, Martin Luther puts a clear difference between just and unjust laws. Just is the human composed law that have a connection to the moral law, while the unjust codes or laws that are out of harmony and often fail to relate to the moral or Gods expectations, which is the natural form of law.

Justifiable form of rule has to uplift the soul and personality, thus giving any form of segregation inferiority effects and false senses. In accordance with Martin Luthers letter, segregation is not only a political matter, but also a social wrong and an immoral act (Jackson, p.94).

As frequently evident in our current political systems, injustice occurs due to existence of code supported by majority but for the minority group to obey. This makes injustice different as an illegal act while just law is one, which majority compel to but minority follow through personal will. In this case, equality becomes legal (Jackson, p.95).

Leaders are implementing just laws on the outside while the same laws are unjust in the inside. Laws permit approved form of peaceful parades but they uphold segregation, by denying members of a certain group right to peacefully assemble and hold demonstrations.

The article is a clear indication that activists are people who break the unjust laws willingly, openly and are ready to accept any penalty that may arise because the aim is to arouse conscience of the community leaders over need to respect and practice justice.

Like the earlier religious faithful and political activists, peaceful demonstration is a common form of civil disobedience in modern U.S., where the protesters fight whenever moral law is at stake.

Socrates defied compliance to stipulated civil law because his conscience point out that the terms were against the divine law, which was more superior. The political laws are often contradicting moral principles and compromising human freedom. If the political principals compromise human faith, then it is fine to have an open advocacy for antireligious laws.

In comparison to the dated social settings, people currently still face more frustration from poor or superficial understanding by freewill as opposed to the absolute misunderstanding by those of ill will. Mere acceptance is thus more painful than clear rejection (Jackson, p.97).

In his letter, Martin Luther emphasized on the use and existence of the law for establishing justice. Failure to implement justice blocks flow of social progress. People have to accept the dignity and worthiness of human personality by un-hiding tension for justifiable action to take place.

The act of barring individuals from gaining basic constitutional rights for the reason that this would precipitate violence is punishing the dishonoured. The act of racial injustice is a solid block to social context of human dignity. The article shows support of excellent technique of non-violence procedures of protesting against injustice, which is practical and integral in todays struggle for human rights (Jackson, p.101).

According to Jackson (p.110), oppression leads to segregation but it rarely remains that way forever. Currently, it is evident that non-violent actions for justice create the required tension when dialogue fails. It gives power to the activists to accept the label of extremists for the need to achieve good and preserve justice for all.

In line with Jacksons text, (p.105), the main cause of despair involve pretending activists, for instance the religious groups who made up in support of the non-violent free actions but end up supporting the unjust form of governances or awkward forms of worldly practices. They pretend in support of religious rules but end up supporting secular or government policies.

Works Cited

Jackson, Jesse. Why We Cant Wait: By Martin Luther King (Jr.). New York, NY: New American Library-Penguin Group. 2000. Print.