The following is the public statement directed to Martin Luther King, Jr., by eight Alabama clergymen.

Transcription

1 The following is the public statement directed to Martin Luther King, Jr., by eight Alabama We the undersigned clergymen are among those who, in January, issued "an appeal for law and order and common sense," in dealing with racial problems in Alabama. We expressed understanding that honest convictions in racial matters could properly be pursued in the courts, but urged that decisions of those courts should in the meantime be peacefully obeyed. Since that time there had been some evidence of increased forbearance and a willingness to face facts. Responsible citizens have undertaken to work on various problems which cause racial friction and unrest. In Birmingham, recent public events have given indication that we all have opportunity for a new constructive and realistic approach to racial problems. However, we are now confronted by a series of demonstrations by some of our Negro citizens, directed and led in part by outsiders. We recognize the natural impatience of people who feel that their hopes are slow in being realized. But we are convinced that these demonstrations are unwise and untimely. We agree rather with certain local Negro leadership which has called for honest and open negotiation of racial issues in our area. And we believe this kind of facing of issues can best be accomplished by citizens of our own metropolitan area, white and Negro, meeting with their knowledge and experience of the local situation. All of us need to face that responsibility and find proper channels for its accomplishment. Just as we formerly pointed out that "hatred and violence have no sanction in our religious and political traditions," we also point out that such actions as incite to hatred and violence, however technically peaceful those actions may be, have not contributed to the resolution of our local problems. We do not believe that these days of new hope are days when extreme measures are justified in Birmingham. We commend the community as a whole, and the local news media and law enforcement officials in particular, on the calm manner in which these demonstrations have been handled. We urge the public to continue to show restraint should the demonstrations continue, and the law enforcement officials to remain calm and continue to protect our city from violence. We further strongly urge our own Negro community to withdraw support from these demonstrations, and to unite locally in working peacefully for a better Birmingham. When rights are consistently denied, a cause should be pressed in the courts and in negotiations among local leaders, and not in the streets. We appeal to both our white and Negro citizenry to observe the principles of law and order and common sense. April 12, 1963

2 Introduction: King acknowledges the Public Statement. Note his employment of ethos as he acknowledges that the eight are sincere, and men of genuine good will, and that he hopes to answer their concerns patiently and reasonably. Clergy Argument I: King is an outsider who should not be meddling in Birmingham s business. As you summarize King s answer, note that each paragraph develops a more complex argument than the one before. Be able to explain this. 2, 3, 4 How does this appeal to the values and concerns of King s audience? What analogy does he employ in 3?

3 Clergy Argument II: King should not be causing tension through demonstrations. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 The delays and postponements through the election were designed to keep the demonstrations from clouding the issues. 10, 11

4 Clergy Argument III: The demonstrations were untimely. King employs an explicit point in this section, and provides backing to prove it. What is his explicit claim and what strategies does he use to support and develop it? (14 is perhaps the most powerful section of the letter.) Clergy Argument IV: King is an extremist who breaks the law. (This section is the largest part of the essay, so subheadings to his rebuttal follow.) A. Defining the Law This is the most famous of the passages from the letter, because of its careful deductive structure. A syllogism is a deductive scheme of formal argument consisting a of a three part statement: major premise, minor premise, and the conclusion. Write out the deductive syllogism King has constructed: Premise 1: Premise 2: Conclusion: B. Historical Overview of Civil Disobedience 21, 22

5 Clergy Argument IV: King is an extremist who breaks the law. (This section is the largest part of the essay, so subheadings to his rebuttal follow.) C. The White Moderate King questions the logic of the clergymen s assertion that the peaceful demonstrations cause violence, using three different analogies. 26 How does King define the myth of time? What is the graphic analogy employed in 24? D. Extremism (Note his progression: beginning with logos, then ethos, and finally pathos.) 27 King believes he is in the center of these two extremes in black society: a. b Why does he save his reference to Christ s crucifixion for last? 32 King notes exceptions to the disappointing white moderates.

6 Clergy Argument IV: King is an extremist who breaks the law. (This section is the largest part of the essay, so subheadings to his rebuttal follow.) E. The White Church 33 King commends the few notable exceptions of the church supporting civil rights. 34 He loves the church, but is deeply disappointed that these are the only exceptions The church now is too invested in the status quo to affect change. 42 This investment threatens the very purpose of the church in modern times Even with the white church s rejection of justice, black freedom is destiny.

7 2. List the main point of each paragraph in your section(s). 3. Identify specific rhetorical strategies King uses in this section (you do not 4. Explain what makes these strategies work. Clergy Argument V: The police should be commended for their peaceful response Note that the main points King has already established are reiterated here: the faulty logic of the clergymen, an understanding of cause and effect, the rationale of just and unjust laws, and the concept of nonviolence. Conclusions 47 Emotional appeal with the South s true heroes 48 King s imprisonment led to the length of the response. Why does King remind his readers of this fact here? 49 King pleads for forgiveness from both God and man if he has misrepresented any part of his argument. How would you categorize the tone of this paragraph? 50 He closes with his hope for the future. How does he show respect for his opposition in the final paragraph?