Application of the Letter from Birmingham in the War in Syria Essay

Application of the Letter from Birmingham in the War in Syria - Essay Example Martin Luther and his friend Abernathy Ralph had led demonstrations against laws that promoted the segregation of the black people in America. According to the law, Martin and Abernathy were supposed to get a permit to conduct the demonstrations. However, they failed to get the permit and that led to his arrest (King 34). The church clergy had responded to his arrest on the same day that he was detained in Birmingham prison arguing that both the white and black people should obey the civil laws in the country. Luther wrote the letter with the aim of justifying his disobedience of the law by arguing that it was the unjustness of the law that made him to demonstrate. Luther argues there are just and unjust laws, but the existence of unjust laws anywhere leads to injustice everywhere in the letter (King 36). King’s separation of just and unjust laws may be used in the analysis of the way in Syria and recommend on the actions that should be taken to end the war in the country. Mar tin argues that a regulation is just when it concurs with the laws of God, which he calls the ethical rules. Unjust laws, on the other hand, are those that are not based on the moral laws of God. Thus, according to King, laws are fair when they are acceptable in the whole society because God’s rules are equal to all citizens despite their race and color (Tiefendbrun 68). This argument aimed at informing the state that the segregation of the black people who lived in the southern parts of Alabama was an unfair act that was against the will of God. The segregation of the black people commonly known as the Negros had been in the country since the eighteenth century when slavery of Africans and Asians was practiced in the western nations (King 25). King also argued that injustice in any part of the country led to unfairness in the whole nation. This meant that the injustice that existed in the southern part of the nation led to the unfairness in all regions of America (Tiefenbrun 70). Luther also meant that the segregation of the black people was a sign of immorality of the whole nation including the whites. This indicated that the white people would be considered as immoral even when they acted fairly in other things in the south and in other regions in the country. This means that even if nations and people conduct themselves in all things except one, they will still be unfair and they will lack development. King demonstrates this by giving the example of how Africa was moving towards independence at a high speed while America was wasting time segregating the black people. The activist argued that Americans were lagging behind by taking the longest time to serve Africans only a cup of coffee (King 79). This meant that the injustice of the laws would cause injustice in the country by slowing down freedom and development like that which Africa and Asia were experiencing at that time. Martin postulates that â€Å"the oppressors who are mainly the leaders do not award the minority groups their freedom voluntarily† (King 80) Therefore, he argues that there is need for civil disobedience by the oppressed groups to force the leaders to grant them their moral rights. This argument justified King’s act of disobeying laws by conducting demonstrations instead of negotiating with the leaders. He further justifies himself by pronouncing that he was tired of being asked to wait for negotiations. Luther argued that the word wait had become a synonym of never because he and his fellow Negros had heard it for numerous years before deciding to disobey the law (King 82). Thus, according to Martin, leaders should award their people with justice on time to avoid the disobedience of the law. However, when the leaders fail to create fair regulations, they should be reminded through

Read Alouds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Read Alouds - Essay Example Reading aloud is so effective due to a number of factors, including: pleasure, emotional bonds among the participants of the process, opportunities to experience unusual situation and listen to the books that are above children’s own reading level. Meanwhile, read-alouds develop children, motivate them to read independently and serve as a trigger for creativity and discussion. Reading to the class, the teacher demonstrates her appreciation of literature and serves as a role model (Kieff 2003, p.28). Read-alouds serve as â€Å"a catalyst† for the discussion and social interchange. As Lawrence Sipe (1999) puts it â€Å"literature can help us perceive reality in new and fresh ways, â€Å"defamiliarizing life† and making us alive to new possibilities, new ways of perceiving the social order, so that we can imagine what a more just society would look like† (p.125). At the end of his article Lawrence Sipe concludes that â€Å"as children embrace or resist texts through language and a variety of artistic modes, they are forging links between literature and their own lives. Such links have the potential to be both informative and transformative for their developing sense of themselves as individuals and members of society† (p.129). However, children’s’ response to literature can be different. Success of read alouds may depend on various factors. Sipe’s article (1999) highlights some factors influencing children’s response to a book. As research show it is the literary experience of the reader and the context, which really matters. Individual experience and cultural background always contribute to the literary response. To my mind, this fact is of special interest for teachers working in multi-cultural classes, which are not rare in the United States. Multicultural literature available today represents cultures, which used to be invisible or treated negatively earlier. Such books can serve as mirrors or windows for children of