In Chains We Remain

We all have this inner voice, most of us ignore it and a few of us want to be heard. Martin Luther King Jr. was a brave individual who didn't let anything get between him and his freedom. Without fear, he stood up for his beliefs, and fought till the very end. Leaving foot prints on our history, he changed the world in which we live in today. Martin Luther King in his "Letting from Birmingham Jail" addresses issues of unfairness caused by racism and reminds the clergy men that we are all brothers and sisters. In hopes of changing the minds of the clergy men and all of the people who read his letter, King demands his rights. With his tone of voice and biblical allusions he captivates people all over the world with his well-known letter from Birmingham jail, in which he references strong critics of modern civilization like Gandhi along with our states Declaration of Independence written by our founding fathers.

In his "Letter from Birmingham Jail", Martin Luther King Jr. uses many tones. Almost sounding cocky, King starts off his letter mocking the clergy men. He first grasps the opportunity to speak out to the clergymen who criticized his contribution of the civil rights. He begins by addressing the clergymen as his "dear fellow clergymen;" by his sarcastic politeness he concluding that by criticizing his participation in and support of the civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama, the clergymen are in fact criticizing themselves. King's says the clergymen are of "genuine good will," He begins his dispute by pinpointing the clergymen's reason for criticizing him, and then shows the misconceptions in their accusation. The clergy men are supposed set examples of God, but yet are choosing to discriminate, which is clearly against what the Christian belief really is. The commandment to love other people is given in the Bible which states, "Love your neighbor like yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). Kings voice towards the middle of his letter seems to soften up when he opens up about family struggles he faces on a daily basis. When his daughter isn't welcomed in fun town, because of her skin color King notices that what he was afraid would happen as a result of segregation is indeed happening. "See her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people."(229) The opposite of what he believes in is actually in his daughters mind, it might not be physical violence, but definitely a fight against the person she has been brought up to be. Towards the end his tone changes to a friendlier one, "I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you."(240). King concluded his letter this way to leave a last impression on the clergymen, hoping to gain their support.

Gandhi is well known for playing a big role in achieving India freedom from Britain through nonviolent acts.