Depending on what perspective to take on this question, peaceful resistance to laws can have a positive or negative effect as different stakeholders from different perspective viewed peaceful resistance differently. Peaceful protest from the perspective of the protesters engaged in civil disobedience is a peaceful way to bring awareness to the injustices happening in society, while to that of the government and officials, it would seem as disrupting the “peace” in society. On the perspective of a protester, civil obedience to them positively impact a free society because civil disobedience is a way for society to advance forward without the current problems despite being “free”. Civil obedience in a way is a method to solve current issues …show more content…
To be more specific, in the 1960s of the Civil Rights Movements, the law of “separate but equal” is a fair and both White and African Americans have equal stuff, but it is not of the same quality meaning that during that time, White Americans have better quality items such as bathrooms, books, and teachers while African American have lower quality items, but it was “fair”. This, then, led to African American engaged in civil disobedience in order to change their situation as well as to change society to become a society where both White and African Americans coexist together. Thus, there is this ironic situation where protesters are being civil disobedient but it is due to uphold and amend the law for the common good of the nation with a diverse population. Furthermore, protesters engaged in civil disobedience knew of their consequences, which according to the source “7 Arguments Against Civil Disobedience”, shows how the protesters respect the system of the law, but still seeks to change the law for the better knowing the consequences can be dire such as having a criminal record which can be a scarred for life. In the case of the …show more content…
Civil disobedience, fundamentally, is still disobeying the law that upholds order in society and by challenging the law, it is basically committing a crime. Thus, in the perspective of government officials who are responsible in keeping order of society within a nation, civil disobedience is consider as negatively impacting a free society as it incite other people to emerge and protest, which sometimes can be dangerous. Thus, civil disobedience in the government official’s perspective in a way is “a recognition of the constant threat of trained troublemakers and rabble rousers aimed at all times against our entire society.”(Civil Disobedience: a Threat to Our Society). For example, Edward Snowden who leaked confidential information without authorization. He was someone of intelligence and working with confidential information, but he decided to leak important government information which disrupts the free and peaceful society, which his action is considered “against” society as he did not follow the law and engage in civil disobedience. Therefore, in the case of government official perspectives, the act of civil disobedience can be seen as negatively impacting society as it is “against” the societal norms and
It’s difficult to imagine a world where citizens follow laws they agree with and disregard those they are against. However, what if the laws they disregard should never have been laws in the first place? Civil disobedience is a method used to fight injustice in society. In the words of Doctor Martin Luther King Jr., “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” If injustice is not confronted, it will continue to seep into every facet of society. This can transform a once free society into one that is trapped under clutches of injustice. Therefore, peaceful resistance, although uncomfortable, positively impacts and preserves a free society.
If we take a closer look at civil disobedience, we can better understand what it means, its goals, and its outcomes. Civil disobedience predominantly exists as direct and non-violent government defiance. Instead of voicing an opinion with a vote or a simple conversation, civil disobedience stands up for what is right using an individual’s whole influence. Therefore, some sacrifices regarding the legality of actions are made in order to preserve the integrity of the mission. In other words, why should a protester follow the law that they are trying to alter? That doesn’t make much sense, therefore civil disobedience allows unjust laws to be broken for the greater good. This method is very effective if, for example, a minority is attempting to
I believe that peaceful resistance to laws both positively and negatively impacts a free society. Civil disobedience is the refusal to obey certain laws and government demands one considers unjust, and accepting the consequences. The first amendment prohibits Congress to enact any law that would intervene with any person's civil rights. Though everybody knows this, why are there discussions about what people can and cannot refuse to do. Some people refuse to do things because it goes against their faith, which as stated earlier is allowed according to the first amendment. While others refuse to see what is right in front of them, in the very center of the Declaration of Independence.
Civil disobedience is the refusal to conform to certain laws as a form of harmless political protest, while being aware of the consequences that could result because of it. Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society because actions are taken due to people letting their voice be heard. While some may argue that the main reasons of this are the five basic rights mentioned in the first amendment (freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition), this issue goes far beyond that. Without civil disobedience, many historical events might have not played such an important role as they did to the point that they changed America in numerous ways; not to mention the courageous people who still take part in protests today to claim the rights they should have.
Civil disobedience positively impacts a free society for several reasons. Not everything the government does will be accepted by those who know their rights. Protesting peacefully can bring a nation together and get the unimaginable accomplished just by unity. For example, Dr. King practiced protesting without the use of violence and today he is known as the most influential civil rights activist to ever live. He led peaceful marches with thousands of comrades, holding signs condemning the nation of all of the racial injustice.Change just can't happen over night, one must persevere and stand up for what is right no matter what people say. Without people like Dr. King we would still be living in a very much racist white driven world. We must
Civil disobedience is the act of opposing a law one considers unjust and peacefully disobeying it while accepting the consequences. This peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society and overtime, makes it more “free.” Remonstrating unjust laws also reveals how corrupt our society today is as a whole considering the hatred and retaliation exerted towards protestors. Overall, civil disobedience is necessary for society to adapt to the new norms of the forever-changing world.
People have been protesting unjust laws since laws were written. People have always been on both sides of whether a law is just or not. Henry David Thoreau proposed that when people were faced with a law they didn't believe in that they "obey them, amend them or transgress them." Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Henry David Thoreau all shared the same thought, that you maintain respect for the law even while disobeying the law. Civil Disobedience is called specifically, civil, because it was always meant to be non-violent.
To put it into different terms, civil disobedience is an avalanche that snowballs more and more support until it is finally succeeds in its goal. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. of the Civil Rights movement progressively gained more support until his following and cause was undeniable and instantly recognizable. This positively impacted his society because he protested peacefully, but also increased his support through his protest. This was because the peaceful nature of King’s protests was marginally more appealing than a violent one. This led to a heightened awareness of the Civil Rights movement which ultimately facilitated its success. In other words, Martin Luther King’s civil disobedience helped his society because it spread awareness about an important injustice, which fueled the success of the movement that eventually bettered society substantially. It is not difficult to see that if a protest did not gather a following, then it would fail to impact society at all, since it could not obtain a foothold in the ladder of society. Thus, the inspirational nature of civil disobedience enables it to positively impact
We must do what we can to call out injustices and stand up for those whose rights have been stepped on without violating the rights of others, and civil disobedience is the best way to call attention to an injustice, garner support, and seek change. Peaceful resistance to laws has a positive impact on free societies because without it, the societies aren’t free - if we are unable to protest against what is wrong, can we say we are truly
The world has been driven by a force of civil disobedience by many different well known leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. , Rosa Parks, Alice Paul, and Mahatma Ghandi. Civil disobedience, the act of disobeying the law in a peaceful manner for one’s own rights and thoughts, has been used for the greater good for centuries past and will most likely continue to do this through the many centuries to come. The Constitution itself states that congress can make no law prohibiting religion, media, speech, the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances and the right to peacefully assemble. Civil disobedience is also shown vividly through the Civil
Does peaceful resistance to laws positively or negatively impact a free society? People such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau make me believe that peaceful resistance does positively impact free society. Also known as civil disobedience, peaceful resistance has been used throughout history To greatly change the world for the better. It has many advantages, but it may also come with some side effects. One of the first cases of civil disobedience is recorded in Henry David Thoreau’s book entitled, “Civil Disobedience”.
Most individuals all throughout the world turn to civil disobedience when trying to stand up for an symbol worthy of protest. In the grand majority of the cases, this sort of rebellion is in defiance of an authoritative persona or a law that has been set in place that individuals do not necessarily agree with.
A free society is one without limitations on individuality, one where people can resist against oppression, against ignorance, against hatred. Peaceful resistance is essential to a free society. Without civil disobedience, individuals would be deprived of the values that make up the foundations of a democracy: freedom, justice, and independence. Throughout the course of history, individuals have utilized peaceful resistance as a means of demanding respect, equality, and liberation from oppression. Civil disobedience positively impacts a free society because it empowers individuals, allowing them to fight against injustice and prevent the government from abusing its power.
Peaceful resistance to laws can have a positive effect on society. While any specific activity needs to be analyzed on an individual basis, civil disobedience is a useful healthy aspect of democracy. It allows for people, particularly a minority, to force important issues into the public spotlight while minimizing harm. Peaceful resistance to laws increases minority power, helps correct improper laws, and contributes to a strong democracy.
In a “free” society, civil disobedience has been a part of human history more than once. The question is: does it impact society positively or negatively? The answer is: positively. In defense of many human lives under unfair laws and acts, it takes strong, willful people to stand up to higher authority, and for themselves. Think about it, without the work of the civilized courageous protesting, how would citizens in a society make the world they live in better, for future generations of life? The peaceful resistance brings the non-violence fight for change that the people deserve, and shows the present generation the struggles of past societies.