Civil Disobedience Research Paper

Civil disobedience comes in every package under the sun. Whether it be Henry David Thoreau refusing to pay his taxes to protest the Mexican-American War or Mohammed Ali refusing the draft because he believed that they were sending him to fight for rights in another country that he didn’t have in his own. The importance of civil disobedience, particularly in those with influence over the people, is often overshadowed by opposition leaders and naysayers on the other side of the argument. But civil disobedience has kept America moving forward for over 240 years and it won’t be stopping any time soon.

From Cherokee Indians refusing to abandon their homes in 1838 to the Sit-ins of the civil rIghts movement in the early 1960s, people have been using acts of civil disobedience to stand against injustice they saw in their communities. Although there are many examples of people abusing this benefit and causing more grief and shame than progress, many have used it to their advantage to bring about positive change for the greater good of society, therefore acts of civil disobedience can positively impact a free society if they remain peaceful, respectful, and justified.

Civil disobedience allows citizens in the free society of the United States to express their opinions in a way that is sure to evoke governmental attention, while enlightening the public

Brilliantly put by what many deem to be America’s greatest president of all time, Abraham Lincoln, “Let every man remember that to violate the law is to trample on the blood of his father, and to tear the charter of his own and his children’s liberty.” Civil disobedience is defined as the refusal to comply with certain laws as a form of political protest. Although many may argue that this is the sole way to keep the government in check and to make minorities heard, rational people will realize that it is not this disrespect of the law that proves the democracy of our nation.

Throughout American history are many examples of civil disobedience, and when we analyze the meaning of civil disobedience we realize that without this America would be a very different place. The Boston Tea Party, The Revolutionary War, The Civil Rights Movement are all a few major examples of civil disobedience that have shaped America into the world it is today. Civil disobedience, in a sense, is taking the law into ones own hands when they feel that the laws in place are unjust or unethical and want to change these laws to better ones own life and those of others. Sadly though, there are many lives on this Earth that cannot take the law into their hands, stand up for their rights, and change things for the better, and those lives are the

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.

Through the libertarian principle of “non-aggression” people who act out against the government accepting the legal ramifications of their actions inspires others to cry out against tyranny. In The Case against Civil Disobedience the author implores civil disobedience “is an altogether secondary and derivative matter, scarcely capable of being put in a form that is not contradictory, shallow and feeble guide to action.” Was demanding the Fifteenth Amendment be upheld in society to allow for the African American vote and women’s suffrage shallow? America is a country where “all men are created equal”, the citizens not being able to exercise their right to vote freely is contradictory to the original value of the country. Martin Luther King Jr. while in jail wrote “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action.” King was arrested because the local court ruled his protesting was illegal in the city of Birmingham. The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights clearly states, “Congress shall make no law [...] abridging the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” This process to civil disobedience is still being used today. The Dakota Pipeline protests are legal, however 74 people have been arrested for setting up an illegal camp, since it was on private property. These people view the sacred lands, the purity of the environment is more important than using natural resources. Their actions on paper are illegal, but by following King’s process of a “nonviolent campaign” illustrate peaceful civil disobedience protects free society from the government’s hold on laws and

Have you ever heard of civil disobedience? It is a way of peaceful protest that has been used successfully in the past and in the present. Walkouts, boycotts, and marches are all forms of civil disobedience that have been used and are currently being used. During past four years, there have been women's rights marches, pro-choice marches, and kneeling during the national anthem. These are people that are actively trying to create a fair society themselves and for the people around them. As the real world awaits, civil disobedience is a way to live in a fair society, preserve independence, and refine your moral compass.

Every day there is a new example of civil disobedience but people are often blind to it until it actually affects them. A 6 year old girl was gunned down in a neighborhood seven-eleven parking lot by a bullet that wasn’t even meant for her. The people were outraged not because of men opening fire in a parking lot full of innocent others but because a young girl who had a mommy and daddy that she leaves behind. The people

The United States history is filled with disobedience, it can be said that this very country was founded on acts of disobedience, except they weren't always so civil. If you can get across a point without endangering civilians does that make the argument less valid? Does the lack of bloodshed make the the cause less relevant. It is my belief that civil disobedience has been and will always be necessary, especially in this day in age with growing friction between the government and the governed. Acts of civil disobedience not only positively impacts the movement towards creating and maintaining a free society, but also reinforces

When done correctly, civil disobedience can have positive effects on society, and in a time where people’s basic human rights are being put up for debate by the government, more people should practice civil disobedience. The main argument against civil disobedience is that it is inefficient, but by looking at history, it is apparent that it has marked significant social change on society. For instance, when Rosa Parks took a front bus seat during the Civil Right’s movement, she prompted African Americans to boycott the bus system. Her act of civil disobedience led to increased non-violent participation in the Civil Right’s movement. It is true that some acts of civil disobedience would be harmful to society.

Another issue I have with the idea of civil disobedience is the fundamental understanding of America’s social contract. While Americans do have the right to protest according to the Constitution, the majority of the “peaceful” assemblies are not, well, peaceful (more on this later). On top of that, as US citizens, we conform to our social contract, which restricts certain liberties, but provides us the right to live in the United States instead of more corrupt places in the world -- Mexico, North Korea, and Syria come to mind.

All throughout world history, human beings have participated in acts of civil disobedience. However, in the last two centuries the belief and practice of it has been in full swing and has even brought on major historical events, especially concerning equal rights and just laws. Three major firm believers and activists in civil disobedience were Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King Jr., and Gandhi. All three of these men participated in acts of civil disobedience but each in his own way and for different reasons. Henry David Thoreau believed that a certain war tax was unjust during the Mexican War and he refused to pay it. This then lead to his arrest and one day in jail where he wrote the essay "Civil Disobedience." Martin

Civil disobedience isn’t uncommon in America, but the modern idea of civil disobedience has become flawed and distorted from its original intent. Currently, there are thousands of causes and ideals that are spastically flung around and just as soon forgotten. This is because the guise of civil disobedience is often abused by people simply to attract publicity. These methods of claimed civil disobedience often do little to nothing in working towards the goal that they claim to stand for, or their intensions are vague and unclear. For example, in the news, the most popular recent controversial example of civil disobedience is the kneeling during the national anthem before a football game. At its manifestation, this movement was intended to protest the inequalities in the treatment of races by the police especially in Chicago. This effectively accomplished nothing. It raised awareness but the majority of intelligent civilians were already aware of the inequalities. The flaw of this example is that the form of disobedience

Civil disobedience definitely has a positive affect on society. The people that we have heard of taking an act of civil disobedience, like Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks, did it because they wanted to make the society they lived in better one. These two people were both trying to make a more equal society for everyone who lived in it. Civil disobedience positively affects a society because it brings people together, makes or changes laws, and creates equality