MLK "Letter From Birmingham Jail"

Martin Luther King's letter was and still extremely powerful and moving. It is clear here the degree of his intellegence and ability as an writer (and inextricably as an orrator).

I believe that these men who wrote to him saying his cause was "unwise and untimely" were writing this in hopes that no one would ever know of their letter, and that the movement would quiet down.

Martin Luther King completely blows this idea out of the water. He does this however with a respectful tone of disagreement. This letter when read by the public becomes a guide for those in the civil rights movement who may feel that there work is not "going the way they want" or just not moving quick enough for whatever reason.

I think a number of his sections are so moving, so eloquently writing and so undeniably intelligent that the men whom he was responding to, must have been some what awestruck.

One of these sections is about how to define a law as "just or unjust". Here as in so many places not just in this letter, MLK makes the fight not about black or white, not about male or female, not about rich or poor. It is about something more than that, something that is basic to our human existence. MLK quotes Thomas Aquinas and other legal philosophies, but I find this simple statement to be undeniable, "Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust."

It is comments like this that make MLK so effective. He succeeds in what I believe was his purpose of letting these men know that some "note" will not stop this movement because we all have waited much too long. Also to let his followers know that now is not "unwise or untimely" because for the oppressed there is no such thing as wise or timely when confronting ones oppressor. Instead the movement must push harder and become stronger and continue to succeed.

pentecostal vist..."praise Jesus"

Went to a Pentecostal church service with my boyfriend, for one of his classes, and found politics and religion coinciding into a social movement. His interest in this subject actually sparked my interest in this group and is why I chose to focus on the Evangelical movement for my case study.

Found the service to be FULL of interesting behaviors and attitudes especially towards the government. Including what sounding like a good bit of distrust with the new President Elect, and a HUGE lack of faith in his ability to lead this country. Also as with many/most Americans a great amount of fear about the economic future of this nation. Throughout his sermon the pastor was discussing the root of "problems" and how to "solve" them.

The pastor mentioned Obama and his perceived in ability to follow the "rules" of problem solving as laid out by this church. The pastor also alluded to another political issue very very briefly...abortion or teen pregnancy. In accordance to there emphasis on family he said, "if you are man enough to make the baby, you better be man enough to take the baby". This provided for a VERY awkward moment for my boyfriend and I seeing as we were the ONLY two people there who were unmarried.

Overall this was an eye opening experience for a number of reasons, it was very interesting to see how religion not only infiltrates state, but state infiltrates religion.

election

A late reflection.
The most important thing that I got from this election (especially since it was my first) was not just the win of my candidate.
But the feeling of success, and importance and meaning of MY vote and that of my peers.
It was monumental to be a part of this
My hope for the future....
is that my generation keeps up the momentum we have gathered behind OBAMA and apply it to other issues.
keep the change going, can't wait to see what happens next!