The Cause Of Civil Disobedience

It’s hard to make people listen. It’s hard to make people want change. And using violence brings a bad reputation to what one is trying to bring attention to. Thus, peaceful protesting and civil disobedience are important tools to positively impact a free society. Accepting the consequences of civil disobedience proves to the world that one will sacrifice whatever is necessary to achieve what they are fighting for, which strengthens their message even more.

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

Non-violence is a peaceful strategy people used in the 1900’s to revolt against the government. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Mohandas Gandhi had the most success in changing the way we live today. How did they get nonviolence to work? Well they were very disobedient, disciplined, and determined to make a change in society.

Civil disobedience can negatively affect a free society under false pretenses because it can affect the way someone believes something is right or wrong due to the information that is given ot that is stirred up on social media. Another way it impacts society is because there are aggressive protestors that become dangerous. Protesters aren’t the only ones being disruptive, police officers also participate in the disruptive actions. There were also some aggressors that didn’t want to accept their consequences, but their actions differed from what they wanted. In the twentieth century people believe that violence can be the answer to a situation, but it can actually cause a division in our society. This division will build rage that will affect the nation more severely in the

While growing up, our parents taught us what was right and what was wrong based on their beliefs and views. When we were younger, we were taught to follow and obey those who were older than us and possessed a higher authoritative status. One’s reasoning for being obedient includes: religious beliefs, background, and work ethics. Civil disobedience played a large role in America. Creating protests, riots, and sit-ins, America had many examples of disobedience. In America, we value our rights as citizens and individuals. We have the right to protest as stated in the first amendment of the United States Constitution, which is called Freedom of Speech. According to the Webster Dictionary, civil disobedience is said to be “the refusal to obey government demands or commands and nonresistance to consequent arrest and punishment.” Citizens are willing to accept the legal consequences associated with their disobedient actions. How does the law respond to people who engage in civil disobedience? Fining and jail time are the legal consequences enforced by authority but also there is a trend of change. I believe civil disobedience is justified simply by your own personal beliefs and the rights you attain as a citizen. The law is the law, if you disobey; the authoritative figure is responsible for giving a consequence.

America was founded on a principle of civil disobedience. With the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers set forth a powerful precedent. The Declaration said in part, that when institutions of government becomes destructive or abusive of unalienable rights, it is the right of the people to alter it or to abolish it. The history of our nation tells us that civil disobedience is a civic responsibility, and in the alleged words of Thomas Jefferson, “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism”. From the Boston Tea Party to the Stonewall Riots, the United States Constitution and advances in racial, social, and gender equality support the idea that peaceful resistance positively contributes to a freer society, and a more equitable America.

Our nation was built on civil disobedience and it has always been a privilege we have held high. It is for this very reason why the First Amendment of our Constitution outlines the right to a peaceful protest among other rights most important to us. But over time, some members of our nation have lost sight of this liberty and see peaceful resistance as nothing more than groups of people who have no respect for the law. But civil disobedience is not doing whatever you want, whenever you want. Civil disobedience is actively protesting what is morally wrong and is the way to a more free and just society.

I believe that peaceful resistance to laws both positively and negatively impacts a free society. Civil disobedience is the refusal to obey certain laws and government demands one considers unjust, and accepting the consequences. The first amendment prohibits Congress to enact any law that would intervene with any person's civil rights. Though everybody knows this, why are there discussions about what people can and cannot refuse to do. Some people refuse to do things because it goes against their faith, which as stated earlier is allowed according to the first amendment. While others refuse to see what is right in front of them, in the very center of the Declaration of Independence.

Sometimes all it takes is a guy like David to provoke society to defeat Goliath. Throughout history there have been multiple examples of the power of civil disobedience and how it can be used as an instrument for change and the greater good. Ancient philosophers even came to terms with an example being Socrates of Athens. His beliefs have carried through time, and the concepts of civil disobedience have been used to create the play The Just Assassins. Even in todays western society we still reap the benefits of such concepts as is proven when Martin Luther King Jr. took a stand against westerns laws to amend the constitution intern giving African Americans basic human rights. Civil disobedience is a powerful instrument in society used

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.

Civil disobedience is the backbone of all free nations. The positive influences of this act are visible in every aspect of life. Civil disobedience is peacefully disobeying any law thought unjust while accepting all legal repercussions. Peaceful resistance instigates change, allows communication with the government, and gives nation’s citizens power.

In a free society, people are given the opportunity to stand up for what they believe in. I believe that the act of civil disobedience, or peaceful resistance to laws, positively impacts a free society for a number of reasons. Civil disobedience can have a positive effect when the government is flawed or when the law being resisted is wrong or prejudiced. In these situations, civil disobedience and peaceful resistance can mend some of the injustices that were being inflicted. All governments, including democracies, are flawed.

Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society. The Constitution of the United States of America gives us the right to freedom of speech. We should be able to express our opinions through civil disobedience, as long as we do so peacefully. Civil disobedience is accurately presented during the time of the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King led many marches and peaceful protests.

Civil disobedience goes far much deeper than just disobeying laws, it goes even more deeper than being peaceful and accepting consequences. It is one’s belief system. It is one’s passion. It is probably the one thing that people feel they know for sure. So when one goes against the norm, it is not a senseless “crime” so to speak. There was logic, there was passion, there was feeling, and most of all there was faith. I would like to say that faith is the biggest contributor. Faith is being able to take a leap without knowing the outcome of the action but hopes of the result in one's favor. I believe that peaceful resistance to laws can positively impact a free society. For one I believe that it is a push to open the opposing factors eyes, it is a factor that change really is inevitable and most of all possible, and lastly it gives the confidence and evidence that we are able to unite as one no matter what outside factors are.

Looking closer at the time period and situation of the civil rights movement reveals that civil disobedience is in fact negative to present day society. The Civil Rights Movements used a combination of peaceful protests and civil disobedience to attain their goals. There are two reasons why civil disobedience worked back then: There was no social media and the protesters knew that they could die even if they protested peacefully. 42 people were killed because of their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement from 1955-1968. (Southern Poverty Law Center) Nowadays, a protester knows he or she will not be murdered a few days after the protest because he or she participated in it. This lack of fear empowers protesters to push further their level of civil disobedience to the point where it's an unnecessary and violent act that hurts society. Another major difference between then and now is the use of social media. “Before the advent of social media, on any given day an individual might have had the opportunity to share his or her feelings about an unfolding political event with, at most, 10 or 15 people. Now with a few strokes of the keyboard or swipes of a mobile phone, people can make their thoughts known instantly to hundreds or thousands of others. Moreover, the fact that these thoughts are spread through social networks that individuals have