The letter of Birmingham Jail written by Dr. in 1963 is known as one of the many classic of the civil rights movement during this time period. This letter was a response to a public statement of concern and caution published by eight white religious leaders of the South. This letter, if read, can be said to make someone finally and fully see Martin Luther King Jr.'s standpoint.
In the beginning, he starts off by saying, "if I sought to answer all of my criticismsI would have no time for constructive work." In this short phrase, Martin displays how responsible he is when simply talking about this subject. Although he would want to answer many of them, he sees no purpose if he would just be repeating his standpoint over and over and not be able to get to the heart of his problem. Right after this he begins to explain his reason for being locked up in that Birmingham jail cell and so this is where what he said is surely to touch the reader at the current moment. Martin states that the reason he is in Birmingham is because of the injustice there. He will not just sit there and watch corruption happen in front him which is shown when he says, "Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly." By this he meant that any small problem that may just be aimed towards one person, is a problem for everyone else. He believes that one person is never left fighting alone because there is always someone else who has that same opinion and that same motive of making a change, speaking out, and making his voice known. Martin Luther King gets into the details of the injustice he himself experiences. He speaks about how no one really knows what cruelty is or the effects of segregation are unless you've experienced them, unless you've seen a mob lynch your father and mother at will. One doesn't know what it likes to see your brothers and sisters be brutalized by hate-filled policemen but Martin does.
