Read "Letter from Biurmingham Jail" by Marin Luther King, Jr. (22 - 34)

Here is the writing assignment from your textbook:

In "Letter from Birmingham Jail," King states that people have a responsibility to disobey unjust laws. Decide whether or not you agree with King's opinion on this topic. Then write a letter to the editor stating your opinion and explaining your reasons. You may want to look at King's letter to the editor of The Atlanta Constitution for an example of appropriate tone and format. your letter to the editor may be longer than King's with an introduction stating your opinion and supporting paragraphs giving specific examples" (Troiano and Scott 36).

Here are my added directions for this assignment:

The completed essay must be at least 500 words. There is no limit on length, but all essays should be concise, informative, and correct. Longer essays that multiply errors simply provide more justification for a poor grade. Microsoft Word will tell you how many words there are in a document.

Here is some advice on how to organize and develop your letter:

First, state King's opinion on this issue and summarize his reasons for holding it. This will require a careful reading and rereading of his letter. This will constitute the introduction to your letter.

Second, at the end of this introduction, clearly state your opinion on the issue. This will be your thesis sentence.

Third, after you have stated your thesis, tell why you think your opinion is valid and ethical. Give specific reasons for your opinion. You may repeat some of King's reasons if you agree with him, but you should also try to think of your own. Each of these reasons should be stated in a topic sentence that begins a paragraph.

Finally, to fill out each of your paragraphs, you must provide evidence that your opinion on the issue and your reasons for holding this opinion make sense. This evidence may come from incidents you have read about or seen on the news as well as your personal experience. Remember that not all unjust laws have to do with racism.

Include a works cited entry for your textbook and any essays you use from it. See your textbook or follow the links from my web site for help with MLA documentation style.