Reaction paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reaction paper 2 - Essay Example In the letter, King attempts to convince the ministers of the rationality of his actions and points out why they are necessary if natural ‘human goodness’ and morality were to be given a chance. Arguing that everyone, white and black, possessed natural ‘human goodness’, King points out that most white people, particularly in the north, had not heard or were perhaps not noticed the desperate condition of the black people of the South following the Emancipation Proclamation. Although they were free, they had to try to support themselves in a world that legally segregated them from the means of doing this. Only by forcing attention on the issues, through non-violent protest, would the black people be able to gain the attention of the white people and still illustrate that there was no justification for this oppression. Only by appealing to white people, who held all the power, could change be forced through the political process. Adhering to St. Augustine’s contention that â€Å"an unjust law is no law at all†, King insisted that non-violent protests such as those he was organizing were not breaking the law but were instead adhering to a higher moral and ethical law. The segregation laws were directly counter to the Supreme Court ruling regarding equality to people of color because they were applied only to black people. He argued that to break an unjust and immoral law is thus acting in a moral and just manner for the good of the community, especially if this can be completed in a peaceful, kindly manner. This, he argued, was a necessary action because the tension in the black community was continuing to build and would soon rage out of control into violent action. Peaceful protest provided both the necessary outlet for these emotions as well as brought positive attention to the plight of his community. At the end of his letter, King criticizes the church leaders