Civil Disobedience Research Paper

Civil Disobedience is defined as refusal to obey civil laws or decrees, which usually takes the form of direct action (Grolier’s Encyclopedia Online 2). Thoreau wrote that people practicing civil disobedience, break a law because they consider the law unjust. People want to call attention to its injustice. Thoreau voiced civil disobedience as, “An expression of the individual’s liberty to create change” (Thoreau 530). Years later Martin Luther King Jr. took the same idea of direct action to protest the injustices brought upon black Americans in the United States. One major example was the Birmingham bus boycott. Blacks where treated unjust and often had to give up their seats to whites, and had to listen to racial slurs made by the bus driver. King like Thoreau, did not take a violent approach, he often used sit-ins and rallies to unite the black community (Encarta

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

Martin Luther King, Jr. defines civil disobedience as the act of nonviolently refusing to obey unjust laws as a form of protest, usually resulting in accepting the consequences of

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.

Civil disobedience, is often the last step that people take to bring attention to a topic or subject that they feel strongly about. Every day is full of unjust rulings that may not be to everyone’s liking. Many people fight for what they believe in even if the outcome is bleak. You are your own self and you will always have your opinion that may not match all other citizen’s. Civil disobedience has escalated to a majority of non- violent protesting, although there are some cases including violence. It is a form of rebelling against what they feel is unfair or unconstitutional. Showing civil disobedience is an act that you must be willing to accept the legal consequences, which may include incarceration.

The government sets the laws in place for us to keep the peace. This peace is what keeps the world from being in complete chaos, but is it right to blindly follow all of these laws that they put in place without cross examining the law to ensure that it is what is in the best interest of the state? It is appropriate, and the responsibility of the people, to go against the government under certain circumstances. When the government takes rights away from people, no longer has the people’s best interests in mind, or places laws or enacts changes that cause harm to or cause the people to go against their moral and/or religious beliefs are just some of the events that call for civil disobedience.

At this very moment, millions of Americans are engaging in peaceful resistance to the new Trump administration. Many more have turned to violent displays of opposition. In such a divisive time it is clear that we must all defend each other’s right to civil disobedience. William A. Haviland, author of "The Essence of Anthropology," defines civil disobedience as “the refusal to obey civil laws in an effort to induce change.” This resistance to laws is a necessary part of any true democracy. Henry David Thoreau defends this idea when he says, “If the machine of government is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law.” As one of the first and most acclaimed advocates of civil disobedience, Henry David Thoreau hit the nail on the head. If government is behaving in an oppressive manor, then it is not only the right, but it is the duty of her citizens to oppose what is unjust. Thus, peaceful resistance to

Civil disobedience definitely has a positive affect on society. The people that we have heard of taking an act of civil disobedience, like Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks, did it because they wanted to make the society they lived in better one. These two people were both trying to make a more equal society for everyone who lived in it. Civil disobedience positively affects a society because it brings people together, makes or changes laws, and creates equality

It was Henry David Thoreau who once said Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. In reference to civil disobedience, he was correct. In order to achieve a free society all individuals must be given the equal freedom, and opportunity to pursuit their own goals, as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others to do the same. When a law hinders this ultimate purpose, society losses the essence of freedom, and creates a type of slavery due to injustice. All people have a moral obligation end injustice, and peaceful resistance to injust laws creates a movement for change that has a positive impact on society.

Civil disobedience is a peaceful way to protest issues. Some people believe that civil disobedience is not an effective method for change because it isn't legal. Others think that civil disobedience is an effective way to make change because it is a way to protest a problem without violence. I believe that civil disobedience is an effective way to make social changes. “Civil disobedience becomes a sacred duty when the state becomes lawless and corrupt.”

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”-Mahatma Gandhi. Civil disobedience has been used a lot in history. It was even used by some of the most famous and well-known activists ever. Today I will be showing you on how civil disobedience IS an effective way of making change. But first, let me explain civil disobedience; Civil disobedience is when citizens of an area disobey laws by protesting non-violently. Such protests include picketing, walking in front of government buildings, etc. Civil disobedience IS an effective way of making change because it allows small groups to fight larger powers, Civil disobedience is non-violent, lastly, Civil Disobedience can change the way a government rules.

There’s blood everywhere around you. Your eyes are burning. People are screaming. Cars on roaring with fire. You get up and look around. What has this world become? It’s become a place where you have to fight to get your rights. A world where even the most basic human rights are being stripped from people. Stand up for yourself or continue to get tossed around by the government. There are people who think civil disobedience is not the answer to solving things but in reality civil disobedience is the answer because It can change things, be hard to stop once started, and can destroy opponent.

Civil disobedience is an old philosophy from the Greeks, but it has been used all over the world and throughout history. Civil disobedience is a legal norm, to be obeyed.

Civil disobedience is the act of prioritizing an individual’s conscience over what the law dictates. In a country, the government formulates laws that govern the subjects. These laws are to some extent discriminative and oppressive (Thoreau 87). Civil disobedience is the rebellious nature that people tend to develop against the oppressive laws in their country. Civil disobedience is the war that the governed wages against the governing institutions and policies that are oppressive and discriminative.

Civil disobedience is when someone opposes the law and peacefully disobeys it. In many cases peaceful resistance against certain laws have  positively impacted the movement of a free Society. Going against laws is still considered a crime whether it is done peacefully or not and as a result there are consequences. A few of the cases include Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. , Edward Snowden.