Impact Of Civil Disobedience

Peaceful resistance to a law is exactly what a free society needs in order to manage the "free" status. If we were forced to obey every law without a say, we would not be a truly free society. Civil disobedience is one of the most positive impacts the people can have on their own government, especially one that claims to be one of the people, for the people, and by the people. When the people disagree with a law they have always and will always have a right to stand against it. It is a vital part of an American's first amendment rights: the freedom of speech (among other things).

From the time we are children and throughout the duration of our lives, we are told to abide by certain sets of rules. In most situations this is a perfectly acceptable expectation; speed limits, remaining quiet in libraries, and waiting until the age of twenty-one to drink are all reasonable things to ask of people. After all, these rules and laws are put in place to ensure a peaceful and safe society. However, when these rules begin to infringe upon the rights of certain groups, some citizens turn to civil disobedience as a form of protest. While some may argue that civil disobedience is nothing more than a violation of the law, it has also proven to have a positive impact on society, in more ways than one. Used by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin

Societies were first formed to create unity and order, and while some freedom must be sacrificed in order for society to function, people should not have to give up their basic human rights. There are clear instances in which disobedience has a negative connotation. A child not listening to their parent’s bed time is certainly not classified as a hero like Martin Luther King Jr. Juvenile rebellion is what people typically view as disobedience. Laws function to maintain order in society. Without a set of rules, the world would be chaotic. But it is the citizen's’ job to recognize when a rule is unjust. There is a distinct difference between rebellion and rebellion with a moral cause. For instance, violating traffic laws does nothing to enact social reforms; it is an act of self interest and can result in serious harm. On the other hand, calling into question a serious social issue, like segregation, could bring change to an immoral law. So, while cases of self-serving disobedience are fruitless excuses to violate the law, rebellion can be a crucial tool used to enact social reforms. Although order is necessary for society to function, there are instances when laws are unfair and must be changed for the good of the

Civil disobedience is a timeless practice that has been carried on from generation to generation, from Socrates' refusal to execute Leon of Salamis to today's Syrian rebels' fight for freedom. In many cases of injustice, the public will rise up to reclaim their human rights, and ever so often these fights are nonviolent in nature and educational to all the people who engage in it. However, even in acts of nonviolent demonstrations, both the demonstrator and the demonstrated can be hurt. So the question arises: does peaceful disobedience positively impact a free society? Or does such disobedience only contribute to the tension already apparent? The answer to this question, simply put, is that civil disobedience can positively impact a free society in more ways than one. Peaceful civil disobedience is one of the most important aspects that exemplifies a truly free society, for the ability of a group to protest against injustice is true human freedom. Peaceful demonstrations can also encourage better and stronger livelihood among people who are oppressed, since these actions can and will open the eyes of oppressors, and as a result such

If we look at Thoreau’s perspective in which he stated, "government is best which governs least" we can easily jump to the conclusion that government should let civil disobedience run its course in our society. However, the impacts of this cause great division among sectors of society. We have seen in many cities across the nation in which police officers who are bound by the law to “protect and serve” have left us wondering why innocent people have ended up dead as a result of civil disobedience. We can see the negative

Disobedience has been a man’s virtue ever since laws have been constructed. As a progression that has developed in our society , it is safely to indicate that disobedience is morally acceptable by the common people. In order for change, people have demonstrated  disobedience successfully to promote social progress, change is impossible without disobedience.Our society has failed to realize that there is no such thing a “perfect society”. There are people in our society who agree with change and would sacrifice themselves for it through violence and multiple times of rejection. Many individuals known as the majority simply do not like change. This majority is the group that construct these laws that we must follow.  Thoreau states ,” A majority is permitted , and for a long period continue, to rule, is not because they are mostly likely right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority,  but because they are physically the strongest.” Although we do perceive the system as the strongest, citizens still use disobedience to challenge the system’s authority. Disobedience is a man’s virtue when our natural rights are being violated by the majority . In order for change to occur the common people must use disobedience to fight the injustice in their society to promote social progress.

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

This truth awards validity to the concept of Civil Disobedience outright. It could be said that Civil Disobedience is, in a word, futile. It’s the plight of the Pot-Stirrers, Trouble Causers presenting problems without solutions—senseless, irritating, and unnecessarily

“Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it” Howard Zinn. These words from this writer give us a view on how the U.S. government has been changed by the actions of its own citizens. There have been many acts of civil disobedience against the government and the laws the government has passed. Some of these acts have been legendary, such as Rosa Parks and her act against the segregation law that separated African American people from everyone else. Even the acts of disobedience that led to our independence from Britain have made a huge impact on history.

For a country to be recognizable as a nation it must consist of population, sovereignty, a governing body, and a defined territory. In a federal government like the United States, the people exist to run the government; however, the government exists to ensure that the people are under control and are free from anarchy. The government also exists to ensure that itself remains under control from becoming tyrannical. The United States government is a two-party system made up of republicans and democrats. These party members become state legislators, governors, national congressmen and women, and the president of the United States and his or her cabinet. These are the people who everyday try their best to formulate laws which will help keep the

People may call attention to trifling matters, like making it their business to ensure that top government secrets are made public. As Morris Leibman phrased it, “organized disobedience stirs up the primitive.” Leibman also affirms that civil disobedience leads to people breaking other laws if they see that one law has been given an exception. He states that “we cannot be ‘sometime’ lawyers.” In other words, consistency within the law must be upheld to ensure that no more law breaking is encouraged in other areas. With these effects, peaceful resistance may be harmful to a free society.

Civil disobedience is a crucial act of political participation and is the basis on which our nation was founded upon. Historically, our country started as a protest on the unfair acts and enforcement of various laws onto the people of the colonies from the government of Great Britain. From the ashes of a war based on the headline of “no taxation without representation” our country was born with a heart of rebellion and a strong need for representation in all ways. Although created in a violent way, the United States has strived to appease all citizens whose issues are presented in a nonviolent way, where they are protected under the Bill of Rights in the Constitution. Peaceful protesting and civil disobedience toward a law or policy is critical to a healthy and lively democracy and free society that we strive to achieve.

Civil disobedience has been a method of protest for centuries. The debate remains as to its impact on society. A peaceful display of objection can have a positive affect on a free society by initiating change without violence, allowing citizens to stand up for what they feel is right, and guiding future generations on how resist laws in non-violent manners.

When you think of civil disobedience, you will most likely also think of Rosa Parks or Henry David Thoreau as prime examples. As a society, we tend to believe that civil disobedience was a way people stood up for what they believed in back in the day. We fail to acknowledge the more recent examples taking place all around us, like with Edward Snowden’s 2013 leak of classified NSA documents. We also assume that now that so many rights have been granted and so many causes have been fought for, civil disobedience is no longer prevalent. However, this mindset is far from the truth. Currently, on a daily basis, individuals still actively oppose the laws they disagree with in hopes of proving a point. Civil disobedience has somehow become the way to express oneself. While it may occasionally be effective, it seems to lead to more disruption than results. Therefore,

By peacefully resisting laws, one is able to bring attention to injustices and discuss a resolution rather than having officials focus on taming protests in which the city is harmed. Martin Luther King Jr. serves as a prime example as the leader of a movement that was able to promote a change within society through peaceful protest. Unlike the violent Black Lives Matter protests across the nation, the Civil Rights Movement positively impacted a free society by creating a society free of