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Civil Disobedience And Martin Luther King Jr.

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Civil Disobedience; one of the most fundamental aspects of a democratic society. It allows the petitioning group to present their case nonviolently and encourage negotiation. Many have taken to using this form of dissent in order to attract attention to an injustice. Throughout history, this technique has been tested time and time again. Without it, how would we show extreme support or frustration over particular issues? Famous leaders, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., have employed the use of passive resistance and gained admirable results. This form of petitioning also requires a level of respect for the laws set in place. As Gandhi once stated, the goal of challenging a mandate is not “to defeat or humiliate your opponents, …show more content…

Citizens are obliged to not only reflect the laws they are told to abide by, but to aid in changing them if necessary. Abraham Lincoln expressed this concept in the Gettysburg Address when he spoke of our nation as a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” To blindly follow a decree is to not fulfill the duties of one’s citizenship. The rule in question must also be regarded courteously because the objective of protesting is to ask people to consider the ideas being fought over. To act aggressively would only make others more reluctant to consider different views. Lastly, any punishment given for disobeying should be taken without argument. To use the words of Martin Luther King Jr. in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” “One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.” This compliance sends a powerful statement displaying the need for …show more content…

After a 140 mile march to Washington D.C., protesters sat on the steps of the Capitol building. Over 400 individuals were arrested, but during this time, they calmly adhered to the police officers’ demands. This behavior is a proper example of what the general public is capable of. Alejandra Pablos, one of the organizers of the protest, stated, “I think anyone who really cares about democracy should be involved…There’s so much corruption that we can’t have a democracy that works for us” (Huffington Post, 2016). These concerned individuals did what they thought was the best course of action to bring attention to financially-dependent

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