Week 4

Our final blog assignment asks us if we think Dr. King's Letter from Birmingham Jail would work today as a blog entry. Since we are asking specifically about it being a blog I would have to say no, I do not think it would work. I admit, I am limited in blogging experience, but I believe Dr. King's letter is beyond the league of bloggers. A majority of what I have seen in blogs have been emotionally charged, opinionated, individual responses to issues. Most have little, if any, educated experience behind them. Dr. King's letter contained numerous examples of his education as well as experience with the subject he was writing about. He explained himself beautifully when describing the hardship the black people in Alabama had gone through as well as the many references he made to historical figures and their relevance to the issue at hand. He was able to communicate his objection to the views of the eight whit clergymen while at the same time showing compassion and understanding to their situation. He told them they were wrong in their views but then apologized in case he offended any of them. Dr. King captures the reader and draws them into his argument, which is a strong point in a blog today, but that is the only similar comparison I can make.

Though I hold a slightly higher opinion of the credibility of blogs since taking this class, I still do not give them the same amount of credibility as certain other sources of information. If Dr. King's letter had been first viewed in a blog I do not believe it would have been taken as seriously as it did in it's own time. I do not think a blog would have been the right place for such a serious piece of literature.