Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Jesus, all these radical men and many others are mentioned in the “Letter from Birmingham Jail » by Martin Luther King Jr. His use of their names in the context of this article creates a form of kinship between the men and him, advocating their disobedience to oppressive systems, while simultaneously defending his actions in the fight against segregation. Using various writing strategies, such as parallelism, comparison, and careful word choice, King powerfully displays the adversity black people lived under, defends his movement against those who would disagree, and gives it effectively a mature and serious tone to argue. in.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. King goes on to describe why he came to Birmingham specifically to continue his protests: “Birmingham is probably the most segregated city in the United States. States. His horrific record of brutality is widely known. Black people suffered completely unfair treatment in the courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of black homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the country...”. By presenting the public with facts as grim as these, he helps create empathy for his people and continues to justify his actions. King further lays out in painful detail what his people had to experience with powerful lines such as "when you saw hate-filled police officers curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters..." By using parallelism in the structure. of the phrase, King forces the audience to imagine the pain his friends and family must have endured during these difficult times. Another example where he achieves this is: "When you suddenly find yourself with a crooked tongue and stuttering speech as you try to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park." . and see the tears come to his eyes when he is told that Funtown is closed to colored children...”. He uses dark terms like “hate-filled police” and “closed to children of color” to paint an overall picture of the society in which black people had to live. Hitting readers with anecdote after anecdote about the depressing trials his community experienced. he had to face, not only does it let the audience more empathize and feel the vivid images he uses, but it also inspires them to keep reading and find positive ways for systemic change. He further justifies his non-violent protest movement by establishing his cause on the ground that obstructs “immoral” and “unjust” laws. He achieves this by introducing dark moments in the story where what was moral interfered with what was legal. He says: "We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was 'legal' and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was 'illegal.' It was “illegal” to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany. Nevertheless, I am sure that if I had lived in Germany at that time, I would have helped and comforted my fellow Jews.” By establishing such a powerful example of a case where what was considered moral was at odds with what was legal, it forces its target audience to further question the viability of laws always being just in their intentions. It also draws a comparison between crimes..