The prison guard handed Martin Luther King a newspaper chastising his “unwise and untimely” protest that ultimately landed him in Birmingham Jail. Dr. King formed a crafted retaliation in the margins of the newspaper. Although he addressed his response to the Clergymen, King, from his cold small jail cell betrothed himself to a much larger audience. His expression of reasoning, and arousal of empathy was remarkable, however, his ability to display himself as meritorious from Birmingham Jail was perhaps one of his most commemorated rhetorical achievements.

King adopted a logical approach in order to defend his resorting to protests in lieu of negotiations. He targeted those who called his protest “unwise and untimely” and characterized him