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King stings his reader in the side when he states that, “…your first name becomes “Nigger,” your middle name becomes “boy” (however old you are) and your last name becomes “John…” What seems like an exaggeration of loss of identity in this time of segregation is not. He uses the word “Nigger”, the term to connect the lack of respect these African men and women were given. I have been disrespected to the point where I thought the offender and myself would come to blows, but never to the point where I feel I cannot come back and redeem my dignity. The use of this derogatory word was made to look down upon and deem these people as dirty, unclean, and to be unapproved of in society. I feel belittled when someone does the simplest unintentional act of misspelling my name, but how much more difficult is it to have your name go from Martin King, jr, to “Nigger boy John”? I wouldn’t know. We wouldn’t know.

King goes on to say “…your wife and mother are never given the respected title “Mrs.” Growing up in a Southern oriented family, you always speak to parents, elders, and authoritative figures with “Mrs.”, “Mr.”, “Sir” and “Ma’am”. If not, you were basically expressing contempt for that person or being disrespectful. I would never speak or allow anyone to speak to my 91 year old grandmother without the use of formal conversation. Thatjust is not tolerated. Well, atleast not in my family.

King’s use of parallelism in this piece keeps me on my toes and almost in tears thinking how my ancestors were treated and how much respect they were not given. Oh how we take these things for granted. In today’s society we don’t use formal terms when speaking to adults, teachers, coaches, and elders. We simply do and say as we please. When I hear my fellow classmates, refuse and defy authority with their lack of respect if tears my heart to pieces wondering, “Did we not learn anything from our forefathers?” Clearly we haven’t. As King would say “I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.” I feel as if I’m losing my cool waiting for the rest of my generation to realize what King speaks of the “just and unjust.” Do we really want to go back into this time of contempt and loss of compassion and consideration? I should think not. I don’t know if we could handle this time period again. It would simply be mass unorganized chaos.

“I hope you are able to see the distinction I am trying to point out.” King says. He wants his readers to feel the distinct difference of the treatment here. I do not want my idenitity taken away. I am Alexis Rochelle Harris, the only one and I do not intend to become Nigger girl Jane.” No, I will not. King has stung me in my side to not let my generation be the corruption and the reason identity is lost in society for a second time.

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