Is It Alright To Go Against The Government?

Racial segregation, the separation of people based on their race, was becoming more and more prevalent in the 1950s and 1960s. In Montgomery, Alabama, an African-American woman named Rosa Parks sparked the civil rights movement on December 1, 1955, when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat in the white section of a city bus. Many were enraged by this and the Montgomery Bus boycott began. Four days later, the boycott began where African Americans refused to ride the buses in Montgomery for a year, ending on December 20, 1956. Finally, in June of 1956, the Montgomery Federal court decided that all buses that were racially segregated were breaking the 14th amendment and were therefore unconstitutional, though the buses in Montgomery

Thoreau and Paine are both suggesting that the United States citizens should disobey their government, but the ways in which these authors are suggesting are in

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, one of the leaders of the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People [NAACP] refused to give up her seat to a white person on a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Alabama, despite being reprimanded by the driver (Schulke 166). Montgomery, Alabama was known for its terrible treatment of blacks. The buses in particular had been a source of tension between the city and black citizens for many years (Schulke, 167). As a result of refusing to give up her seat, Rosa Parks was arrested. Rosa Parks' popularity among the black community, proved to be the spark that ignited the non-violent Civil Rights Movement (Norrell 2).

As a few white passengers boarded the bus and the white sections were already full so the driver shouted back at four black people including Rosa Parks “Move y'all, I want those two seats”. As this demand was made by the driver 3 of the bus riders obeyed to what was shouted back, however Rosa Parks remained in her seat and was determined not to move. She was arrested following the bus drivers order and fined ten dollars. This, however small incited a great wave of bus boycotts which in Montgomery black people chose not to ride the bus for a period of 381 days. This still to date is known as the moment in which the civil rights movement started to gain headway. It was the will of one woman who decided it was time for black people to take a stand and from this point on Martin Luther King was assigned to take this boycott on. Although he was assigned to take this on people also felt as he was young, fresh and people had not formulated enough of an opinion of him, there was little room for him to be hated yet so he posed as the right figure to lead this. After the many days of boycotting the case of this transport issue in Alabama went to the Supreme Court. Here it was decided that segregation was declared as unconstitutional so segregation by law was no

On Thursday evening December 1, 1955, Rosa boards a Montgomery City Bus to go home after a long day working as a seamstress. She walks back to the section for blacks, and takes a seat. The law stated that they could sit there if no White people were standing. Rosa parks never liked segregation rules and has been fighting against them for more than ten years in the NAACP, but until then had never broke any of the unjust rules. As the bus stops at more places, more white people enter the bus, all the seats in the “White Only” section was filled and the bus driver orders Rosa’s row to move to the back of the bus, they all moved, accept Rosa. She was arrested and fined for violating a city regulation. This act of defiance began a movement that ended legal Segregation in America, and made her an inspiration to freedom devoted people everywhere.

Rosa Parks didn’t want to give up her seat on the bus to a white man (Doc 2). The resistance method was shown by Rosa Parks. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, and which African Americans refused to ride city buses in Montgomery, Alabama protested segregated seating. The iconic March on Washington in August 1963 was they protesting method. Two goals of this March words to in the segregation rules and public schools and to have voting rights for everyone (Doc 3).

One method that was used to advance the cause of Civil Rights was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, in the year 1955. On December 1st, Rosa Parks was arrested “after refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man” (New York World-Telegram and Sun). The community boycotted the bus system until December 20th 1956, when Browder v. Gayle took effect. In Browder v. Gayle, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated buses were unconstitutional. By boycotting the buses, the people put pressure on the community and the legislators.

African Americans resisted.They started protesting for equal rights in United States to secure the future for their upcoming Afro-generation. Rosa Parks, an African American seamstress, was arrested for denying to giver her seat to white male. She was the first African American to stand up against a white in public and when she was asked why , she said “ I would like be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people”(Into Rosa Parks). Enraged by Mrs. Parks arrest the black community of Montgomery united together and organized a boycott of the bus system until the city buses were integrated. The boycott showed the unity of African Americans against their

“Jim Crow” laws dictated that a black person must surrender their seat to a white person if there were no other seats available, and stand at the back of the bus. In December 1955; Rosa Parks refused to do this, and was arrested and fined $10. Her friends and family, led by Martin Luther King (who would later become leader of the Civil Rights Movement), immediately started a twenty-four hour bus boycott in response, and found it so successful that it was decided they would continue until the bus company agreed to seat customers on a first-come basis. Many black people became involved with the boycott, and as black passengers made up 75% of the bus company’s business it proved to be enormously damaging. The boycott attracted more black people to the civil rights movement.

For example, the Hoover dam provides electricity for Salt Lake city, or Nuclear One in Dardanelle powers most of the communities in it’s area. It’s great. But when their projects disturb the peace, only then is it appropriate to go against the government. “I was worried about the impact of a multibillion-dollar project on the beauty of this little rural town.” (Terkel). The story Terkel shares is a true way to stand up to the government. Though he ended up in prison, it is the consequence of breaking a law. But he did it for a purpose. The tower wasn’t much of need in a rural town, and the people didn’t like it either. When Terkel knocked down the tower, and the news reported it “TOWER TOPPLED, NUCLEAR PROTEST” (Terkel)., the people found out that somebody was out there. This leads to the government realizing that they screwed up. When the government puts up a project, especially a nuclear one; they should always ask the people, and if they don’t it is okay to stand up against them, as Terkel

Is it acceptable for a citizen to be against the government? Some people believe it is their duty not to support an unfair government, and they must not be afraid to do it. Therefore, there are times when cruel leaders have to be overtaken.

Several groups in Montgomery organized this protest in 1955, primarily the Women’s Political Council and the NAACP veterans groups. The Montgomery Bus Boycott sought specifically to fight the severely restricted movement of Black citizens in the American South, which “beg[an] with enslavement and continu[ed] through the Jim Crow era, when vagrancy laws and other sanctions, including violence, were used to limit black mobility” (Alderman et al, 175-176). The protest involved the efforts of roughly 17,000 boycotters who refused to ride the segregated city busses for an 381 consecutive days. During this time, the activists worked together to establish an alternative transportation system through a highly organized carpooling system, with protesters walking whenever a ride could not be attained. In the refusal of using segregated transportation, “boycotters carried out a bodily contestation of the racist ways in which African American mobility had be devalued and constrained,” and in doing this sent “a message to city leaders that white supremacy in transportation was being challenged” (Alderman et al, 176). This boycott was a material representation of the desires of Black citizens to have equal access all that American society has to

Throughout history, there have been rules or laws set out that many disagree with. When one can honestly believe wholly in the wronging of a decision of the government,

ginally titled "Resistance to Civil Government", has had a wide influence on many later practitioners of civil disobedience. The driving idea behind the essay is that citizens are morally responsible for their support of aggressors, even when such support is required by law. In the essay, Thoreau explained his reasons for having refused to pay taxes as an act of protest against slavery and against the Mexican–American War. He writes,

A simple example would be if a regular citizen, like you and I, were to drive pass the speed limit because the person in your car is bleeding heavily from a gunshot, and you have to rush them to a hospital to save his life. Therefore, by saving that person’s life you have save that person’s family and friends from a great pain of sadness which result in the greater good for that person’s family. Therefore, do think that is it necessarily to break law for a greater cause. Same for an employee of the government. Sometimes it is necessary for them too to break the law. However, it is a little different when you are the employee of the government, because we as the citizen trust that our public figure will do the right thing to benefits our