Dissecting MLK’s Language “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

What makes MLK’s letter so effective? He makes both his stance and his opponent’s stance clear to his audience. He appeals to:  Ethos  Pathos  Logos

Take a Stand MLK addresses his fellow clergymen in a way that make both sides of the argument clear and to the point. Example: “I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in."

Ethos Definition: use of appeal to authority or reputation. Example: “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.”

Pathos Definition: use of an emotional appeal. Example: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Logos Definition: use of an appeal to logic. Example: “But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes”

Which technique applies.. “Paul Tillich said that sin is separation.” “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law” “Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.”

1.[School Uniforms] There has been a problem in local schools with discipline and violence. Your school board has decided to institute a school uniform policy in order to cut down on these problems, based on the positive examples that they have seen at other schools. What is your position on this issue? Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position on this issue and supporting it with convincing reasons. 2.[Locker Searches/Personal Searches] The principal at your school has instituted random locker and backpack/bookbag searches to check for guns, knives, and other weapons. Anyone caught with these weapons will be immediately suspended. The principal argues that the random searches will not only guard against illegal weapons at school but will also will help students feel safer. What is your position on this issue? Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons. 3.[Too Much Homework] Some of the parents at your school have started a campaign to limit the homework that teachers can assign to students. Teachers at your school have argued that the homework is necessary. What is your position? Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons. 4.[Censorship] Your local public library has come under criticism for allowing patrons under the age of 18 to check out books that are unacceptable. The books are either explicit, describe graphic violence, or use questionable language. Most recently, a high school senior checked out James Joyce's Ulysses. The student's parents did not approve of the student reading the book and complained to the town council. As a result, the council is considering removing all questionable books from the library. What is your position on this issue? Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons. 5.[Litter] A litter problem has developed on your school's campus. Students are throwing trash on the ground, leaving empty soda cans and bottles outside on benches, and dropping napkins and other trash on the cafeteria floor rather than carrying them to the trash can. Your principal has asked students to take more care, but the litter problem persists. The principal has reacted by canceling all after-school activities until the problem is taken care of. What is your position on this issue? Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons. l