The Virtue Of Civil Disobedience

There are many civil disobedient that have shown impatience with the process of democracy. The Bill of Rights provides many opportunities for demonstrations to stimulate sentiment, to dramatize issues, and to cause change. These rights are subject to limitations of time and place so as to secure the rights of others. Also, the demonstrations must not be disguised as a right because it defeats its purpose. As the civil disobedient violates a law, and voluntarily submits to its sanctions, he breaches the law but not the peace. To indulge civil disobedience is to bring on anarchy, and the permissive arbitrariness of anarchy is less tolerable than the repressive arbitrariness of tyranny. Too often the license of liberty is followed by the loss of liberty. The disobedient act of conscience doesn’t enhance democracy; it gradually destroys democracy. The non-violent acts of disobedience will give rise to more civil riot. Van Dusen said, even the noblest act of civil disobedience assaults the rule of law. Although limited to method, motive and objective, it has the effect of inducing others to engage in different forms of law breaking characterized by methods unsanctioned and condemned by classic theories of law violation. Once the civil disobedient disobeys one law, he repeatedly subverts all

It is imperative to understand that the United States of America was born through acts of civil disobedience. And because American freedoms are constantly in danger of being encroached on, it is also important that citizens are aware of the worth that civil disobedience can possess. Civil disobedience is when a person or people refuse to obey a demand or restriction by the state that conflicts with higher law and conscience. The act requires that the disobedient one accept whatever may be the consequence of refusing, whether it be imprisonment, moral condemnation, fines, even perhaps death. It should be done when one’s spiritual searching and sense of rightness permit no other response. (Day 65: Disobedient Friends – Quakers and Civil Disobedience) There have been many instances of civil disobedience throughout American history which have had a powerful influence on the legal system and society as a whole.

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.

When our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, they set out to create a Democratic nation where everyone would be able to voice his or her own opinions and push for favorable reforms. This radical idea was challenged by the mightiest army in the world over a series of two wars, but prevailed through endless sacrifice by our nation's earliest patriots. Since, the freedom of speech has morphed into a central pillar for Democracy. Without it, most of the population would not be able to vote, gay rights would not exist, and the American Dream would never be fulfilled. By voicing the common people’s ideas, keeping governments honest in their service, and remaining peaceful, civil disobedience has and can continue to bring forth revolutionary change quintessential to our evolution. If not for civil

How does the social responsibility of intellectuals to demonstrate civil disobedience differ from Lincoln and MLK’s time and today as demonstrated by Black lives matter and Antifa

In the United States Constitution we the people were given a right to freedom of speech. People have taken to this right given to us by the Founding Fathers. But, one problem rises to the top with a right that has so much freedom, civil disobedience. It’s a topic that we are seeing more of in our society today. Civil disobedience is a threat against our free society due to people not taking our laws serious enough.

In the face of adversity, prejudice, and potential harm, one is left with two options. One must carry on and submit to the wrongdoing, or decide to exercise their power of noncooperation. In order to function, any organization, government, or powerful system thrives off of the conformity of its constituency. Once this unquestionable agreement is taken away, the source of power will undoubtedly crumble. In each obstacle we face, civil disobedience can function as a nonviolent approach of defiance. Throughout history, civil disobedience has been used in order to combat injustice in a peaceful yet effective manner. Two key instances in which this technique was successfully employed include Ghandi’s Salt March and the Civil Rights Movement. In

In society, we currently go through a lot of controversies that one could object to. One of the controversies that we face in society is how people with a certain viewpoint feel about non-violent protests (i.e. Civil Disobedience). Civil disobedience, a concept adopted from 1Thoreau Essay: Resistance from Civil Government published in 1849, defines this ‘’as the active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws of the state and/or demands, orders, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power.’’ During this time, he wrote this essay because he believed that individuals should not let government officials take over their consciences. He also showed his hatred for slavery and the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) which motivated him to write this paper.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Civil injustice by definition is the unlawful violation of civil rights and these civil injustices that range from discrimination to racism have been going on for decades now and to this day are still going on. In the event that these civil injustices do occur, the citizens that these injustices affect and even those who it doesn’t have the right to stand up and voice their opinion through the act of civil disobedience. I believe that when done correctly, civil disobedience can positively affect a free society. In this essay, I will briefly discuss why civil disobedience is necessary to affect changes in our society that are deemed unfair to a group

To be fully engaged in the democratic process means more than voting in elections for me. It is fulfilling a civic duty to improve the American definition of democracy in any way that I can. This may, at times, include civil disobedience and peaceful resistance. Not just through voicing my own political opinion, but also in ensuring that those who are absolutely diametrically opposed to me can safely voice their opinion as well. This means upholding objectivity in government administration while also advocating for what I believe in. To be fully engaged is to right wrongs wherever they may exist in the current legal system. This can be achieved by unorthodox methods.

On December 16th, 1773, fifteen years before the ratification of Constitution of the United States, Samuel Adams led the Sons of Liberty into the Boston Harbor. The recent passage of the Tea Act, in which King George III of Britain granted the East India Company a monopoly on all tea sales, outraged the colonists. The Sons of Liberty, disguised as native Mohawk people, boarded three separate ships and threw 342 barrels of tea into the waters below (History.com). This act of defiance, recognized as one of the first acts of civil disobedience in American history, promoted the protection of “the Blessings of Liberty”(The Constitution of the United States of America), a notion later established by the Constitution

Civil disobedience, the deliberate breaking of laws, is one of those struggles that free society needs. When society has fallen ill to corruption, to immoral legislation, to injustice, it is the duty of the citizens to stand up and speak (or scream,

No one possesses the same morals or beliefs. Morality does not have a black and white answer because no one is exactly alike. Everyone has their own opinion and right to voice that opinion, and there are numerous ways of doing so. As a citizen with my own beliefs, I believe I have the right to violate laws if I feel morally obligated to. The amount of progress that America has made in such a short amount of time is astonishing. In some ways it seems as if the only way to make any headway is to speak up. If I was morally opposed to a policy or law I would go against it due to its effectiveness, individualism, and past history of the world that has made immense progress.

Aroused by the massacre of Amritsar in 1919, Gandhi devoted his life to gaining India’s independence from Great Britain. As the dominant figure used his persuasive philosophy of non-violent confrontation, he inspired political activists with many persuasions throughout the world (Andrews 23). Not only was Mahatma Gandhi a great peacemaker, but also his work to achieve freedom and equality for all people was greatly acknowledged. Gandhi’s unconventional style of leadership gained him the love of a country and eventually enabled him to lead the independence movement in India.

Henry David Thoreau once said, “Government is best which governs not at all.” This oxymoron, which testifies to the human imperfections of both citizen and legislator, provokes the question of civil disobedience. From walking to sitting, civil disobedience has been a controversial way of ameliorating imperfect government. However, contrary to critics who decry the supposedly chaotic, anarchical nature of peaceful protest, civil disobedience is a legitimate way to express grievances toward an unjust law. Because it shows respect for the law, checks its own ambition, and provides an alternative to denied representation, civil disobedience positively impacts a free society.