The Letter from the Birmingham Jail written by Martin Luther King Jr., is a great letter explaining why he is in Birmingham and why he thinks things should change. The quote I chose from this letter was “…freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” I found this quote compelling because the Negroes had to demandtheir freedom; it was certainly not given to them freely. This is shown in many instances of human bondage from the beginning of time. If outside forces put enough pressure on the oppressor, they will give in to the demands of the oppressed, but not voluntarily. The oppressors are striving to achieve their own goals and use the oppressed for their own benefit.
This classic dilema is shown in two major events in human history; the exodus of the Israelites found in the Bible and in the persecution of the Jews during WWII shown in the Diary of Anne Frank. The Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians and had pleaded to God for deliverance for many years. God heard their requests and through a series of plagues pressuredPharoah to release the Israelites. In the Diary of Anne Frank the horrors of the Holocost are vividly shown. The Nazis severly persecuted the JEws who were not released until the rest of the world felt compassion for them and demanded their release in the form of the war.
The quote from Martin Luther King Jr. has rung true from the beginning of time and will continue true because of human nature. Until an oppressor feels the heat he will rarely submit. Through his submission change can happen.
