Civil Disobedience In Our Society

“The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment". 1

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 is the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines, as a peaceful form of political protest. Various groups of people have been using civil disobedience for centuries, including the colonists when they refused to pay British taxes, Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement in the Unites States during the mid-1900s, Mohandas Gandhi, and David Thoreau. Civil disobedience is still a practice used to this day and is an effective way of protesting but like all other things it does have its flaws. I think civil disobedience does better than it does bad.

As an essential right of all American citizens, civil disobedience allows American people to strengthen and combine their voices in efforts to change their country. The United States is a country run by the people and for the people. Therefore, it is US citizens that make the United States the strong, independent, flourishing country it is today. It is US citizens that desire change and progress and use civil disobedience to share their ideas and led the countries in many of its advancements in work, racial tensions, and law.

Throughout history there are many people that have committed peaceful resistance. These certain "heroes" of history, if you'd like, have changed our views on obedience to laws.

Not only are civil liberties at stake if you allow the government to pass unjust laws, but it also harms the environment we live in. The environment is full of resources, but not all of them are renewable. when the government passes laws that can harm the environment in ways it cannot be repaired it is the duty of the people to protect it. Not only is it our only home, but it cannot protect itself. If people do not stand up for the environment by refusing to follow the laws laid down then we will be furthering the destruction of the earth.

On December 16th, 1773, fifteen years before the ratification of Constitution of the United States, Samuel Adams led the Sons of Liberty into the Boston Harbor. The recent passage of the Tea Act, in which King George III of Britain granted the East India Company a monopoly on all tea sales, outraged the colonists. The Sons of Liberty, disguised as native Mohawk people, boarded three separate ships and threw 342 barrels of tea into the waters below (History.com). This act of defiance, recognized as one of the first acts of civil disobedience in American history, promoted the protection of “the Blessings of Liberty”(The Constitution of the United States of America), a notion later established by the Constitution

Civil disobedience is not follow the rules of government or laws of the city and i agree with not follow the rules that want us to do, why because i think some laws the government make is not fair and mostly taxes are a big problem in the world at this time. Most people have to do a lot because they don’t have money or disagree with the government, these mostly start with strikes on like more money for most jobs, taxes, what we think could be better at a time like this. There was just some protesting going on about Donald Trump being the new president, protests can also be civil disobedience they mean the same thing. But a lot of people don’t say Civil disobedience, they mostly say we are going to protests and which is the common thing to

Civil disobedience, being that it is a peaceful resistance to unjust laws, positively impacts society. Civil disobedience has been the refugee of many minorities and victims of racism throughout the years. Without humanity having someone practice civil disobedience throughout the years, society would have an abundance of unjust laws that discriminate certain individuals. Of course, a larger amount than there is today.

In the twenty first century, civil disobedience is the only way to further our constitution to fit the unique needs of our society today. The media and the Internet influence the lives of every citizen in America every day and allow people to communicate with so many that otherwise would never be able to communicate with, leading to more opportunities of disputes and disagreements. When laws were written a long time ago, the framers had no idea the world would evolve this way, so obviously the framers could not write laws that fit needs regarding the new society. When a law is not fit any more or a revision is needed, people need to somehow show how the law or revision is needed and to spread the word via social media. Peacefully disregarding

Disobedience is the lack of obedience or the refusal to comply with one of power or authority. Many people believe that obedience to authority will help mankind grow and expand. On the contrary, how can one grow if he/she cannot speak for himself? Individuality is the quality or character that distinguishes them from others of the same kind. When one is obedient they are not seen as individual but as a part of a congregation. Obedience can be best categorized as conformity. Therefore disobedience can be illustrated as individuality.

In many ways, civil disobedience is an embodiment of the impatience for the slow, methodical nature of change in our society today. When individuals see something they feel is unjust, they feel that it must be changed, now. They see the slowness of government in getting things done as an impediment to progress. However, it is this same slowness that acts as a protective barrier for rash decisions. Only through a slow process can an issue be considered from all angles. Thus, civil disobedience cannot and should not be justified when lawful means of protest and correction exist. Civil disobedience rushes the protective measures that ensure the best decisions for our society.

There are times when all of us feel that a certain law is not right and should be changed or demolished. Thomas Jefferson once said that “if a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it. He is obligated to do so.” This is true because one, if we followed every law our government gives us the United States would not become one of the most powerful country in the world and still belong to the UK. My second reason this is true is because some laws are utterly ridiculous such as if you cut down a cactus in Arizona, you could be sentenced to 25 years in prison. My final reason this is true is because of events in the past such as segregation between the blacks and whites.

In order for one to accurately distinguish and comprehend the concept of civil disobedience, we must first discuss the extremity of these passive resistances and who is allowed to overstep these boundaries. Our country is fundamentally based on Democracy, and with this the United States constitution created a decree of secured freedom and sanctioned one’s ability to express their own personal ideology. However, the vision that our founding fathers had for this country’s future has been distorted. With the alteration and revision of various laws, the U.S. government has built an even stronger and forceful domination over their citizens. When it comes