Civil Disobedience In The United States

Civil disobedience is present in our day to day lives. During the civil rights protests occurring in Birmingham, AL, Eugene Connor was the Commissioner of Public Safety who publicly attacked African Americans with fire hoses and dogs. The Boston Tea Party was a rebellion which led to major tax reformation. Another moment in history of disobedience would be the Civil Rights movement. Oscar Wilde claims social progress is promoted through disobedience and rebellion which is valid.

It is imperative to understand that the United States of America was born through acts of civil disobedience. And because American freedoms are constantly in danger of being encroached on, it is also important that citizens are aware of the worth that civil disobedience can possess. Civil disobedience is when a person or people refuse to obey a demand or restriction by the state that conflicts with higher law and conscience. The act requires that the disobedient one accept whatever may be the consequence of refusing, whether it be imprisonment, moral condemnation, fines, even perhaps death. It should be done when one’s spiritual searching and sense of rightness permit no other response. (Day 65: Disobedient Friends – Quakers and Civil Disobedience) There have been many instances of civil disobedience throughout American history which have had a powerful influence on the legal system and society as a whole.

During women’s suffrage, women who marched and voted illegally were incarcerated, but their efforts directly contributed to the passing of the 19th amendment. While homosexuality was illegal and gay marriage had not yet passed, early LGBTQ activists faced arrest and public discrimination in campaigning for their rights. Vietnam protestors burned draft cards, held demonstrations, and were detained, but their opposition saved millions of lives. Yet, nothing exemplified peaceful resistance better than the Civil Rights Movement. A continuation of ongoing calls for Black equality, the American Civil Rights Movement was the pinnacle of civil disobedience, a blatant violation of local, state, and national Jim Crow laws and institutional segregation. Sit-ins and bussing were met with police, White retaliation, and arrests. Nevertheless, people who fought for equality broke laws not out of spite but rather belief in change, and their efforts were awarded with the passage of the most progressive civil rights

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 one of the most peaceful ways to protest an unjust law in a free society and allows individuals to bring a law under public scrutiny. Free societies allow every citizen to make their opinion known and published, but if an important opinion is published in a smaller newspaper, it may not receive much attention or consideration. Civil disobedience is necessary because it brings attention to injustice by actively demonstrating oppression and mistreatment. The phrase "actions speak louder than words" is common, but not only do actions speak louder than words, but throughout history they have proven to be the only main way to push others in a society to action.

A common argument amongst many citizens in America is whether or not peaceful resistance, or civil disobedience positively or negatively impacts a free society. With numerous examples of civil disobedience occurring in the past, it is easy to see how America was affected by these acts. America has progressed since her founding, especially since people have started to take a stand in what they believe in. Civil disobedience can positively affect a society through making others aware of an issue and sparking an urge for change.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Civil injustice by definition is the unlawful violation of civil rights and these civil injustices that range from discrimination to racism have been going on for decades now and to this day are still going on. In the event that these civil injustices do occur, the citizens that these injustices affect and even those who it doesn’t have the right to stand up and voice their opinion through the act of civil disobedience. I believe that when done correctly, civil disobedience can positively affect a free society. In this essay, I will briefly discuss why civil disobedience is necessary to affect changes in our society that are deemed unfair to a group

To be fully engaged in the democratic process means more than voting in elections for me. It is fulfilling a civic duty to improve the American definition of democracy in any way that I can. This may, at times, include civil disobedience and peaceful resistance. Not just through voicing my own political opinion, but also in ensuring that those who are absolutely diametrically opposed to me can safely voice their opinion as well. This means upholding objectivity in government administration while also advocating for what I believe in. To be fully engaged is to right wrongs wherever they may exist in the current legal system. This can be achieved by unorthodox methods.

When the sun goes down, I wake up, shrouded from the eyes of everyday and hidden from the gaze of blind hate.

The right to oppose a law that one might consider unjust and choose to disobey it in a peaceful matter is essential to a true democracy. Throughout history, the most notable acts of civil disobedience have been achieved in the pursuit of equality and freedom, such as the Boston Tea Party and the civil rights movement. A specific example would be Rosa Parks' refusal to surrender her seat on a city bus in 1955. As seen in these specific cases, due to courageous civilians a precedent of a free just nation for all was set subsequently making the nation a better place for minorities.

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

Within the constraints of our modern government, lines can be drawn as to how relevant older principles remain. Civil disobedience as a tool used to serve and further the people's rights, to gain a greater voice for the cause of the greater good, is undeniably a great alternative to violent means. This does not mean, however, the ideas of Henry David Thoreau's non-interference represent the same progression that it would have during the political circumstances of his time. It is arguable that peaceful resistance is likely one of the greatest ways that a truly progressive society may improve.

Webster defines civil disobedience as the refusal to obey government commands or demands in a nonviolent and generally collective means of forcing concessions of the government. This has been a long-standing institution within democracy since it’s inception. Many argue that the start of the American Revolution was founded upon acts of civil disobedience such as the Boston Tea Party. This sort of peaceful opposition resonates constantly throughout history, whether it be through the fasting and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi in protest of British imperialism, or during the more recent protests at several large international airports in which protestors sought to oppose the newly elected President Trump and show solidarity with middle eastern refugees.

The clock struck noon. Harry automatically put his head down when the orderlies entered the room. He realized that avoidance wouldn't help, but self-preservation was instinctual. At the top of every hour, they had entered the waiting room. Their white smocks stained a bit redder than when they last left. It was all very routine; the clock strikes, two people enter, three people leave. It would continue until there was no one left.

According to Barnes, Frank, and Driessen, civil society has to exist in order the right to protest should be effectively formed, a civil society of which is a substantial setup of civil organizations, is said to stimulate the strength and efficiency of democratic institutions through the effects of the civil organizations on the civilians' conduct, and the capacity of the civil institutions to rally the citizens on behalf of community reasons. Nonetheless, civil societies in Latin America and Eastern Europe are credited with effective opposition to dictatorial governments, democratizing the public from below, while forcing the autocratic nations for change. Therefore, civil society has been known to be the realm of private charitable organization, from local agencies and religious groups, to concerned groups and humanitarian institutions of all kinds. The civil society has come to be appreciated as an essential element in both democratization and the well-being of established governments.