Question

Read the passage

I must close now. But before closing I am impelled to mention one other point in your statement that troubled me profoundly. You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping “order” and “preventing violence.” I don’t believe you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its angry violent dogs literally biting six unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I don’t believe you would so quickly commend the policemen if you would observe their ugly and inhuman treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you would watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you would see them slap and kick old Negro men and young Negro boys; if you will observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. I’m sorry that I can’t join you in your praise for the police department.

Which statement identifies the main idea in this excerpt from “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr.?


You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping “order” and “preventing violence.”


if you will observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together.


I am impelled to mention one other point in your statement that troubled me profoundly.


I’m sorry that I can’t join you in your praise for the police department.

Answer 1

Answer: D) I’m sorry that I can’t join you in your praise for the police department.

Step-by-step explanation: In the given passage from “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr, we can see that he expresses his disagreement with the praise for the police department to "keep order" and "prevent violence" because of the inhuman treatment that black people received from them. The statement that best identifies the main idea of the excerpt is I’m sorry that I can’t join you in your praise for the police department, because it summarizes the disagreement and disaproval.