Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Letter response and Local Laws That Prohibited King's March


All in all, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s essay, Letter from Birmingham Jail, is truly inspirational. He delivers the importance of equal rights for both white Americans as well as African Americans in his writing. He discusses how "an unjust law is no law at all" (King, paragraph 15). This is the reasoning for why he still conducted the march in Birmingham. He was arrested for "parading without permission", which King felt that law was unjust; therefore, it isn't a law. King's ability to stand up against something that is truly greater than him, makes him a legend. I think that's what I admire most about this essay. He was not afraid to say what needed to be said, and this essay demonstrates his perseverance to freedom. In King's essay, he writes, "Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birth-right freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained" (King, paragraph 30).

Laws were passed in Birmingham that would inevitably prohibit Martin Luther King Jr.'s march in 1963. Birmingham had raised the price for bail bond's from $300 to $1,200. King was arrested on the account of "parading without permission" and because he did not have a right to march. Birmingham also had laws that would not allow the marchers to kneel or pray. Birmingham's march still happened but was ended by fire houses being aimed at the marchers and police dogs being set loose on them.

5 comments:

  1. That is a truly inspirational quote. I admire King and his strrenghth for standing up what was right even though he had to face consequences.

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  2. I really admire King for everything that he did and went through. It truly shows that if you really believe in something that strongly then stand up for it.

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  3. this shows that king reall doesnt care what happens to him, as long as he is getting his message across.

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  4. This just goes back to the article where it talks about just laws with unjust application because they were going to find any way they could to put him in jail. It seemed like any loop hole they could find they would use it and put him in solidary confinement, but even alone his word s were more powerful than any other white person of the time.

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  5. This is really amazing to me that these laws were created to stop King and his protesters. What is even more amazing is the fact they they never stopped and were able to gain their rights and freedoms. The quote you chose from King is really true but it is so challenging to decide what law is unjust and just. I think we still deal with that today.

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