Argumentative Essay On Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King, Jr., said that he wished for the day when his children “would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Write about a time in your life when the content of your character was tested.

Did you know that Martin Luther King JR was shot and killed in a hotel in Memphis? Martin Luther King is one of the best motivators of his time, with words like, don’t judge someone by the color of their skin, but by the actions that they choose to make. MLK (Martin Luther King JR) was a shooting star, that actually makes dreams come true, you only see that once in a lifetime. First, MLK was one of those people who knew education like it was the back of their hand. Also, if it wasn’t for his speeches we would be right where we were before he made his speeches, race against race. In the end, he had the confidence to lead him into these speeches and no one could take that, sure he was a “Negro” that does not meant that he doesn’t have the charisma, the education, as a “White person.” MLK made a difference, so can you. Those are some reasons why MLK was and will forever be, one of the best inspirers, he shows differences, he is smart, he is charismatic, he simply is a, owl, a cat hunting, a dolphin having its jumps in life, he was the dream maker, a huge impact on racism, he wanted to make sure that the people, you and me, would be together, knowing that someone in life had sacrificed so much to get you where you are today.

After Being Dragged out of their homeland, brought to an unknown country, and forced to be slaves, African-Americans saw a road trip to equality through the eyes of Martin Luther King, Jr. Even after being emancipated from slaves to citizens, African-Americans were not ready to wage the battle against segregation alone. The weight which African Americans carried on their back, was lightened when they began to see what Martin Luther King, Jr. brought to the table against segregation. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the single most important African-American leader of the Civil Rights Movement and was responsible for dramatically improving the chance of equality for African-Americans. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the key individual, which helped

Marin Luther, regardless of his intentions, is one of the most controversial men in all of Christian history. The growth of Martin Luther and essentially the whole Protestant Revolution begins by Luther walking in a storm and getting struck by lightning. At this time, he prays out to the saints in hopes that he will be saved; he promises them that if they save him, he will stop everything a become a monk. Luther is saved and does just that, he quit studying law and took his vows, and he began studying the bible as a monk. While studying the bible, Luther comes across a line in Romans 1:17 stating, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” Luther’s interpretation of this is that no amount of pilgrimages, relics, or good deeds will save someone, what will save that person is his or her faith. At the same time that Luther comes to this conclusion, indulgences are being sold. An indulgence is a ticket to heaven which cleanses a person of all sins. A person pays for this certificate, which typically cost half a year’s earnings, and this will shorten the time in purgatory before going to heaven. The idea of what happened after death terrified some people so this gave those people a false sense of comfort.

African Americans have undergone unimaginable hardships in this land and were powerless to effect change in the system with their vote. I find this to be great injustice. Another example of injustice in this reading is King’s arrest. He writes, “I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance, which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and deny citizens their First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.” As King explains how a just law can become unjust through capricious or malicious application, I find myself confused by the situation. African American citizens are struggling for the equality America was founded on, and these people are being arrested for improper parading. After exhausting many other approaches, African Americans moved to peaceful protest and even that was stifled. I find myself asking where else were they to turn, how else could they effect change, and where is their justice? Would anyone have blamed Dr. King for being angry with his situation? I doubt it. King made a wise choice to remain optimistic, to address those who questioned his motives with reverence. In fact, he defines how he will respond to his critics in the opening paragraph of his letter: “I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.” This statement demonstrates King’s commitment to

“In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action. We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case. On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city

Dr. King's effort to make non-violent campaign and to end racial segregation led Negroes to protest together for equal rights. Appeal of emotions in letter the King use have shown anger and sadness from broken promise and injustice law. The King clearly stated that disease of segregation will never end after all suffer, “For years now I have heard the word “Wait!” It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This “Wait” has almost always meant “Never.” We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”(King 275).

King begins his response by stating “I am in Birmingham because injustice is here”. Taking a stand for the horrid crimes being committed against Black people, King repudiates the notion of an untimely act, that ultimately stands for justice (500-03, 3-13). Policeman maliciously killing, barbarous mobs, and mass poverty is the every day reality of the Negro American. Martin Luther King Jr. portrays African American suffering, while simultaneously acknowledging the solutions to that suffering. He argues that we are morally responsible to disobey unjust laws and that by taking a stance against them, we are progressing towards equality (504, 15-16).

Martin Luther King Jr. challenged the injustice both on the streets and in this letter. King said, “I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice...I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth concerning time in relation to the struggle for freedom.” (King 4). King kept repeating the words “I had hoped” and “white moderate” to illustrate a point. He is showing his disappointment with the justice system and how the group of white moderates are bystanders who do not intervene on the

King suggested a march in Birmingham. He knew it would be dangerous, because “Birmingham was considered to be the most racist city in the South” (Mckinstry 3). So taking that into account, Dr. King made sure all of the people who wanted to march, took precautions. He told the marchers, “ you will encounter the police. They will hit you; spit on you. They will have dogs and billy clubs...But no matter what the police do to you, the only appropriate response is no response--or a prayerful response” (Mckinstry 126). Before the march could happen he needed to know who would actually participate. Not many adults volunteered because it could result in the loss of their job, and no job meant no income. The majority of the people who wanted to take part in the march where young people. They felt it was time for a change. They wanted freedom. They were ready to face the police. Dr. King was proud the young people wanted to take part and stand for equality, but he became very hesitant about their safety. He was criticised on how he was sending children to do adult work, and he knew if the children marched, their parents would become very upset with him. This made Dr. King want to cancel the march, but it was already too late. Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth believed the children should march. He always said, “some must die to accomplish [equal right]” (Mckinstry 124). And in so many words, he was

King’s letter, he addresses the concepts of rights, duty, and justice. Dr. King refers to rights as “God-given and constitutional.” Under the religion of Christianity, it is believed that everyone is the children of God, therefore if the rights are God-given, everyone is entitled to these rights. Also, all citizens of the United States of America are entitled to the rights given by the Constitution. The combination of the rights given by God and the rights given by the Constitution should result in equal rights for everyone, no matter the color of their skin. Very much like rights, everyone has the duty to honor the rights of all men and women, because these rights are privileges given by God and the Constitution. If it is ever felt that there is an unequal distribution of these rights, it is the duty of the people experiencing this inequality to demand the rights they deserve, and it is the duty of the people with power and authority to recognize the inequality taking place within the community and address these issues. Dr. King has notably written that, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Dr. King was placed in jail because of the injustice that was taking place in the community and the purpose of writing his letter from jail is to express the injustice his brothers and sisters are facing everyday of their lives. Having to fight for equal rights, something that the rest of the community takes for granted, is the injustice plaguing the society,

Rotten. Exploitive. Faithless. The Roman Catholic church was seen as corrupt in the late fifteenth century.The populace struggled with the brazen capitalistic Roman Papacy that didn't meet the needs of its congregation. The clergy’s use of indulgences as a way to salvation lacked the piety that disciples desired. Criticism of Catholicism did not cause sweeping changes in the sixteenth century; instead, the Protestant Reformation occurred due to the confluence of events triggered by one priest, Martin Luther. (Schilling) Although some historians allege that Martin Luther’s theology was reactionary due to its roots in medieval Christianity, his beliefs that the hierarchy of the church was unnecessary and that salvation was

Henry David Thoreau once said “Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.”In order to succeed, rules and laws must be broken and shattered.

Throughout history our society has chose to recognize and remember certain individuals that have had a dramatic influence on our lives. Some of these individuals were of an evil nature, such as Hitler, but I would like to believe that the majority of the people we remember were the ones that had a positive influence on history, such as Jesus Christ and Martin Luther King Jr. I would like to reflect on the men who served a higher power that they called abba, father, or as we would recognize today, God.

"If a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, then he hasn't got a reason to live." These were famous words of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., spoken June 23, 1963 in Detroit, Michigan.