Peaceful Resistance

unjust” (Banks 1). “Principle four – accept suffering without retaliation for the sake of the cause to achieve the goal – this characterizes that nonviolent resistance is a willingness to accept suffering without retaliation, to accept blows from the opponent without striking back; accept the violence, if necessary; but to never inflict violence on another” (Banks 2). “Principle five – avoid internal violence of the spirit, as well as, external physical violence – a nonviolent resister not only refuses to fight or shoot his opponent, but he also refuses to hate him; at the center of nonviolence stands the principle of love for one another” (Banks 2). “Principle six – the universe is on the side of justice – this basic fact pertaining to nonviolent resistance is that it is based on the conviction that the universe is on the side of justice which is positive peace, consequently, the believer in nonviolence has a deep faith in the future and therefore, can accept suffering without retaliation. There is a creative force in this universe, that by whatever name we decide to call it, it works to bring the disconnected aspects of reality into a harmonious whole; a universal wholeness for each of us to share with one another and that nonviolence is both the means and the end” (Banks 3). Dr. King also had a couple of

stated, “History is the long and tragic story of the fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.” There are many instances throughout history where civil disobedience was practiced because the society did not agree with the laws in place. One of the first examples of civil disobedience throughout history is the Boston Tea Party. These citizens seemed to have met all four of King’s requirements for a nonviolent campaign. They had their facts prepared because they were living through it; they tried to negotiate but Britain would not listen to their needs; they self-purified and created a plan; and then they took direct action. The citizens of the colony of Massachusetts trespassed onto a British ship and threw many pounds of tea overboard to fight for their right not to be taxed without representation in Britain. These protestors were breaking the law to fight for their rights and freedom; therefore making the act justifiable. Another example in history of civil disobedience is the Holocaust. The laws set in place by Germany were not in accordance with the beliefs of many people throughout the world during that time. Citizens who did not agree with what Germany was doing would protest by hiding Jews or other targeted minority groups in their homes. These people knew they were risking their own lives for this cause, but did not care about getting caught. These people just had a higher moral code than the law, and

Peaceful resistance to laws has negatively impacted a free society because according to Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail it states, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." On April 6th protestors marched on City Hall, and forty-two people were arrested. This shows how they were arrested for having a peaceful march. On May 2nd Martin Luther King gathered a young crowd to march with him downtown while singing "We Shall Overcome" and more than a thousand young people were arrested. The next day many were arrested. Martin Luther King states in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, "In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation;

During the Civil Rights Movement, King and many of his followers and fellow activists deeply followed the path of non-violent protest, otherwise known as civil disobedience. After being arrested during the 1963 Birmingham Campaign, King received a series of critiques from fellow clergymen stating their disapproval of his actions. Of course, King addressed a letter, now more commonly known as “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, to his critics as well as the nation in order to defend his ideology. Though King does a great job at explaining to his audience the essence of his ideology, he fails to address the practicality or universality of civil disobedience.

Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society because it arouses concern and opens the eyes of law makers and others who are obliged to follow them.

When martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed to the world that he had a dream, people stopped and realized it didn’t have to be just a dream. People didn’t just listen to what this leader had to say, they actually heard him, and they understood him. Society today reflects the hundreds of peaceful, or sometimes not so peaceful, protests held by leaders of our past and present that were heard and understood. Without peaceful protest to laws, segregation may still be in America. Same sex marriage may not be legal. Women may not have as many rights as they do now. Freedom today in America, for example, is different than freedom fifty years ago. Freedom today includes all peoples instead of a select few. Resistance to laws brought this free society farther

Civil Disobedience according to Henry David Thoreau IN 1849 argued, “that individuals should not permit governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that they have a duty to avoid allowing such acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of injustice. Thoreau was motivated in part by his disgust with slavery and the Mexican-American War.” (http://en.wikipedia.org)

King was arrested during a march. The city cops allowed King and the volunteers to march further than ever before. King went without putting up a fight to the officers and the officers respected him by not putting a violent hand on him. King posted bail because he knew he had to get out of jail for the movement to

Knowledge, contrary to popular belief, is not entirely power. Application is power, because without application the acquisition of knowledge is effectively useless. This idea is reflected strongly within the context of United States public protest. The protest was designed to be a peaceful resistance that, at the very core, positively impacts a free society.

Yes, peaceful resistance to laws positively impact a free society and history can speak for this. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most famous people to protest the laws of the United States. He believed the preamble statement

Does peaceful resistance to laws positively or negatively impact a free society? To answer this question effectively we must analyze both sides of the table, to ensure that the correct decision is made. First, let us look at the positive impact to a free society. If someone disagrees with how something is being run, be it because of the fact that it violates a constitutional right or process, then the process of peaceful resistance is very essential to preserving the functionality of a free society. As John Cassidy says "he (who) uncovered questionable activities that those in power would rather have kept secret. That's the valuable role that whistle-blowers play in a free society..." This explains why these whistle-blowers are so important

The American Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) was a period characterized by major campaigns of civil resistance (Wikipedia Contributors “African-American civil rights movement (1954-1968). While the resistance was heated and passionate, the social movement instigated government activity through acts of nonviolent protests and civil disobedience. The nation-wide movement led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that banned discrimination, ended unjust voter registration requirements, and prohibited racial segregation in schools, at the workplace, and in public accommodations (Wikipedia Contributors “African-American civil rights movement (1954-1968). Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), a renowned civil rights activist during the Civil Rights Movement, was arrested a total of 29 times for leading the campaign against racial segregation and economic injustice all around the country. In his infamous Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963), MLK describes how “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King 1) and how “an unjust law is no law at all” (King 3). Similar to how Socrates found it necessary to create a tension in the mind for individuals to the realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, MLK saw the need to be a nonviolent gadfly that created social tensions enabling men to rise “from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood” (King 2). MLK stresses that the oppressed will never remain oppressed forever, and that freedom and recognition should be a fundamental right for all humans.

In a free society, the citizens have certain rights and also certain limits to their rights. When there is a law that is that conflicts with other people's view is it right to speak up and protest it in a peaceful manor? There are many ways to interpret this idea because many people do protest laws or rules that seem unjust to them whether it was a peaceful resistance or a flat out violent approach. However, I believe that a peaceful resistance would positively impact a free society because it voices out people's ideas which could eventually lead to a change. If you sit in silence then no one would ever know how you feel about the law and nothing would change and if you protest violently, it would only lead to irrational things and deaths as

Peaceful resistance is a mannerism that brings positive impacts to the idea of a "free society". However, one can say that the extent of a certain few brought a negative cloud of shame onto the idea. There have been many examples in our history that prove that one can resist peacefully without disturbing the rights and liberties of one's neighbor. Many would agree that when the negatives or "the ugly side" of an idea is emerged, that is all anyone will ever remember. One can claim the resistance of Rosa Parks was peaceful and dignified.

I believe that peaceful resistance has the ability to have a very positive impact on society if done the right way. Three principles I believe could make a positive impact by peacefully resisting is, staying firm in what you resist despite heavy opposition, resisting respectfully and without crude behavior, and lastly have substantial reasons as to why you are peacefully resisting a law. With these three principles a peaceful resistance has the ability to have a very positive impact on society. The first principle I believe helps a peaceful resistance make a positive impact on our society is staying firm in what you resist despite heavy opposition.