Civil Disobedience Controversy

Civil disobedience has been used to peacefully protest for change for decades. The idea that it is acceptable to rebel against injustice is one that is fundamental to the very start of our nation. The American Revolution, while not a non-violent rebellion, is an example of fighting for something that is believed to be right. It is from here that the idea of civil disobedience stemmed, and from here which it grew. Henry David Thoreau illustrated the need for civil disobedience when he said, “The authority of government… [,] to be strictly just must have the consent of the governed.” The changes that have been brought about by this kind of peaceful protest have changed our world for the better. I believe that civil disobedience is something that

Civil disobedience has been shown in a great amount of different ways throughout the years. Martin Luther king Jr. expressed his way of civil disobedience by taking direct action but in a calm way which was effective. He wanted the people to be aware of what was going on and open doors for better groups of people who weren't given the same rights as others. Henry David Thoreau on the other hand took action as well but in a different manner directly with the U.S. citizens and government because he wanted more individual rights for the people. Both had the same ideas but took action in different ways and at the end, ended up succeeding in their persuasive ways.

Civil disobedience has always been a popular way to refute an idea in society. The most famous person that encouraged civil disobedience was Mohandas Gandhi. Gandhi was famous for encouraging this behavior stating that “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” Gandhi was a perfect example of how to deal with a life threatening problem in society: Oppose your unfair leaders with peace; simply disobey them, because in order for them to be “leaders” they need society. In order for them to be “leaders” they need a society that cooperates. If you take this away from unfair leaders, then they will crumble. The basic ideology behind civil disobedience that many get wrong is that there is a mutual relationship between political leaders

Civil disobedience is a crucial part of any free society, especially a society that wishes to give its citizens the most liberty possible. Looking back on American history, one can see that the colonists originally protested the laws that Britain had imposed, and had done so peacefully. By not paying taxes and by assembling outside public offices, the colonists disobeyed British laws and the British crown. Their protests not only helped spark the American Revolution, but also made light of the fact that any free society relies on its citizens to disobey the government, especially when it's done peacefully.

Brilliantly put by what many deem to be America’s greatest president of all time, Abraham Lincoln, “Let every man remember that to violate the law is to trample on the blood of his father, and to tear the charter of his own and his children’s liberty.” Civil disobedience is defined as the refusal to comply with certain laws as a form of political protest. Although many may argue that this is the sole way to keep the government in check and to make minorities heard, rational people will realize that it is not this disrespect of the law that proves the democracy of our nation.

Civil disobedience is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as "a refusal to obey governmental commands especially as a nonviolent means of protest."(Jacobus) We can see an example of this in U.S. history, when this theory was applied during the Civil Right Movement. The laws back then restricted African Americans from being able to attend public schools or use public restrooms that were designated as "white only." Even though they had paid taxes like everyone else, these types of segregation laws targeted minorities and made them second-rate citizens. Martin Luther King, who was sincere in exposing

While growing up, our parents taught us what was right and what was wrong based on their beliefs and views. When we were younger, we were taught to follow and obey those who were older than us and possessed a higher authoritative status. One’s reasoning for being obedient includes: religious beliefs, background, and work ethics. Civil disobedience played a large role in America. Creating protests, riots, and sit-ins, America had many examples of disobedience. In America, we value our rights as citizens and individuals. We have the right to protest as stated in the first amendment of the United States Constitution, which is called Freedom of Speech. According to the Webster Dictionary, civil disobedience is said to be “the refusal to obey government demands or commands and nonresistance to consequent arrest and punishment.” Citizens are willing to accept the legal consequences associated with their disobedient actions. How does the law respond to people who engage in civil disobedience? Fining and jail time are the legal consequences enforced by authority but also there is a trend of change. I believe civil disobedience is justified simply by your own personal beliefs and the rights you attain as a citizen. The law is the law, if you disobey; the authoritative figure is responsible for giving a consequence.

America was founded on a principle of civil disobedience. With the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers set forth a powerful precedent. The Declaration said in part, that when institutions of government becomes destructive or abusive of unalienable rights, it is the right of the people to alter it or to abolish it. The history of our nation tells us that civil disobedience is a civic responsibility, and in the alleged words of Thomas Jefferson, “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism”. From the Boston Tea Party to the Stonewall Riots, the United States Constitution and advances in racial, social, and gender equality support the idea that peaceful resistance positively contributes to a freer society, and a more equitable America.

Civil Disobedience is a right that is afforded to all people. When Civil Disobedience is used as a method of getting your point across to the government and law officials it is ok although when things turn violent and get out of control then that is when it is bad. Carl Cohen feels that Civil Disobedience is a method that condones going against authority and promotes violence while Henry Thoreau believe that Civil Disobedience is a great way to draw attention to the wrongs that need to be made right. I believe that everyone should have the right to express themselves without fear of negative response. Recently here in Charlotte NC with the death of Lamont Scott, who was believed to be an unarmed black man killed by a cop, there was Civil

We must be careful not to mistake for civil disobedience what is actually all too often these days, rather uncivil disobedience, in the forms of riots and looting and other forms of criminal conduct that sometimes takes place in the course of large-scale protests and demonstrations that get out of hand. The modern fathers of civil disobedience as a method of political expression and change are, of course, Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King, in the 1950s and 1960s, convinced hundreds and thousands of black Americans to peacefully agitate towards full legal and political equality in the United States. Both men -- and their followers -- faced police and military might and ruthlessness, and both suffered imprisonment, and worse, for their efforts. His followers and supporters, endured tremendous brutality and degradation, but instead of responding in the way they were being treated, they reacted peacefully, offering themselves as living sacrifices for the causes in which they believed.

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.

Civil Disobedience is an integral part of the American system and gives us the necessary power to create change where it is needed if our elected representatives fail to do so, the fact that it was built into the constitution is amazing because allowing that kind of freedom for your citizens was unprecedented by any civilization that came before ours. We should all be thankful that the founding father had the forethought and the courage to set a precedent that would spread throughout the globe.

First of all, civil disobedience is an effective way of making change because it allows smaller groups to fight larger powers. One very famous Indian activist, Mahatma Gandhi first started his acts of Civil Disobedience by gathering together small groups of Indians to burn their registration passes, which is fighting the larger power, in Gandhi’s case, the British and their ruling of

Civil disobedience is effective and important and a democratic society can’t function without it. In a democratic society we must be civilly disobedient when we disagree with a policy. Freedom is nothing without protest because without the ability to protest we are not really

However, because there are no absolutes in whether a society is free or authoritarian, it is rarely useful to frame our resistance to injustice in absolutes. Civil disobedience is a middle ground between violent revolution (used to resist injustice in only the most authoritarian societies) and working entirely within the law (used to resist injustice in only the freest societies). All three have been useful at various times in human history, but in America today, when many of our rights are in jeopardy but the broad social order is still worth preserving, civil disobedience is the most relevant and useful tactic of enacting change. Civil disobedience works because, in a wide variety of situations, it is a method of directly stopping violence, whereas a violent revolution would create more violence, and working within the law would mean allowing people to suffer while waiting for a slow political system to