On April 16th of 1963, an imprisoned Martin Luther King Jr. began to write a response to a letter that was published in a local newspaper from eight clergymen. These men scorned Dr. King's protests calling them " unwise and untimely." Through his letter King expressed his ideas and reasons for his actions. Most of his ideas were influenced by the philosophies taught by Aristotle.

In the second and third paragraphs, Dr. King established his sincerity of his convictions and his reasons for being in Birmingham. He explained that he was in Birmingham because " injustice is here." One of his most famous quotes stated "a threat to justice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere." He continued to clarify why he was in Birmingham. In paragraph ten, King asked questions to the clergymen in an attempt to explain his ideas of non-violent protesting. His goal was to persuade the clergymen that what he was doing was the right thing. He said " I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, non-violent tension which is necessary for growth." King used a significant metaphor to show the concern he has for his people's freedom in America. He stated "

The most difficult ethos for him to prove was that of virtue, since he had been arrested and jailed. Through the first ten paragraphs King uses his history to set up his credibility. Through the use of the Bible, King is able to convey, to the clergymen, that he is a virtuous and holy man. His argument, that he is not an extremist, revolves around the idea that the government had given he and his people the justice they deserve. So, while King is in jail he writes to the clergymen, who have condemned his actions, " one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." Throughout the letter, King does an excellent job of supporting his actions, while never admitting that what he did was not the best mode of action. He confirms that he is a virtuous man through his understanding of where he is, and also the situation he is facing.

The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jet-like speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at the lunch counter." Through this metaphor it was apparent that he was demonstrating his concern for social change. Then, King continued to show his disdain towards those who wished for King to be passive, proving to them that they did not know the fear of being African-American. He did this through examples of torment that were inflicted on the blacks. Further into this document, King set up his argument for defying the laws that the government had imposed upon the African-Americans. He explained through St. Augustine's teachings th

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Approximate Word count = 1042
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)