Injustice In Letter From Birmingham Jail

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In the beginning of Lincolns speech, he cites various examples of mob activity. He starts with the example of gamblers in Mississippi. Lincoln centers his concern in the growing sense of restlessness which usually quickly turn into violence. Lincoln's fear is that the extremes of mob behavior will destroy the government by weakening “the attachment of the people" If law abiding individuals no longer believe that a government is working effectively to protect their rights as citizens than the mob's criminal way wins. If bad laws are discovered than they should be corrected through a modification of the legal system itself. Freedom and "the temples of liberty" depend upon a strict adherence to the law (Lincoln, 84). In "Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963" King addresses his thoughts about civil injustice experienced by blacks in the South. …show more content…
King bases his campaign for antiviolence on the principle that we are all one and that we are all equal. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” King states that within the US borders there can be no "outsider anywhere within its bounds.” King expresses that 340 years of waiting for blacks to gain constitutional and God-given rights was too long. Lincoln is a more of a physical fighter, Lincoln believes in hanging wrongful doers and dirty one timers. He comes off as having more of a militaristic viewpoint when he mentions strong words such as “shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the ocean and crush us at a blow? No!” I believe that he means that if things go wrong within the law to take it to their own hands and change it at all means necessary. Dr. King makes similar statements in his interpretations of the law. Dr. King believes in order and we know becomes he stated in his letter. He