16.
Read the excerpt.
I must close now. But before dosing 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.
Based on this passage from "Letter from Birmingham City Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr., who are the South's "real heroes?
o the police dogs
the police force
the protesters