Letter from Birmingham Jail

 Martin Luther King Jr. writes with such passion and eloquence, his words and motive soak into the heart with ease. In his Letters from Birmingham Jail, King describes the immediate action needed to end the oppression of Black-Americans. Although his letter is addressed to his "fellow clergymen", his voice is meant to be heard by all.
  His tone throughout could very easily be a condescending one; however, King is much more classy than this. Every sentence is thoughtfully worded, carefully examined, and packs a punch. He consistently references well-known philosophers and religious figures, such as Socrates, St. Augustine, Martin Luther, and even Jesus himself.  He uses their powerful words to support his cause effectively. King is also careful to never directly attack, or insult, the fellow clergyman this letter is being written to. He critiques them, advises them, and scrutinizes them, but never crosses the line in the process.
  Many times throughout his letters, King makes claims that hit the reader on a fundamental level of moral righteousness. "One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty." Poking holes in unjust laws and actions, prodding others to take stands against the immoralities is a constant theme throughout.
  Examples of logical fallacies are utilized to King's advantage, and are not so easily seen due to his careful wording. "We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action", a quote seen on page 156, is one example of a fallacy I found. However, after examining the logical fallacies sheet, I can't pin my finger on the fallacy correlating to this quotation. What do you think? Another; "...law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress." I found this one to be similar to the slippery slope fallacy, although his words seem spot-on (in my opinion).
  He steadily utilizes all three appeals; logos, ethos, and pathos. They are very visible throughout, and very effective in getting his points across to the audience. An example I saw of a logos appeal was on page 160, where the paragraph starts "Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application," then following in sound logical examples. Another, "Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily." A more ethos example I remember is him asking was on page 166. Although this seemingly is a either-or logical fallacy, I found in it great moral appeal: "Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?" Painting these as the only two options, it is effective in raising moral questions within the reader.
  Reading these passionate words from such a level-headed leader will undoubtedly be a great example for writing our persuasive paper. I couldn't have imagined a greater person to learn from, with regards to writing persuasively. I will have King in mind throughout my essay writing, referring to his wise choice of words, and careful contemplation.