Critique of MLK, Letter from Birmingham Jail
... than their own.” To this he simply developed a conception that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” and that was his reason for being in Birmingham. He goes on to say, “I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.... Whatever affects one directly affects another indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives in the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere in this country.” As a main point in the letter, King forwards an idea of a positive peace, which is more than the simple lack of tension. He feels by taking a nonviolent approach to civil rights, the outcome will prevail peacefully. The clergymen however see him differently and call his actions one of an extremist. To this he responds, “At first I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of the extremist…. But as I continued to think about the matter, I gradually gained a bit of satisfaction from being considered an extremist.... the question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist we will be.... Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice-or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?” In his concluding paragraphs, King reiterates the relationship between civil sensibilities and the argument of tradition in modern America. By help of the higher power, King knows this controversy will end “racial prejudice will pass away and the misunderstanding will be lifted from the fear drenched communities. He states, “We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom.... If the inexpress...