Most individuals all throughout the world turn to civil disobedience when trying to stand up for an symbol worthy of protest. In the grand majority of the cases, this sort of rebellion is in defiance of an authoritative persona or a law that has been set in place that individuals do not necessarily agree with. Peaceful resistance to laws most definitely has an impact on a free society, but it can be debated on whether that effect is positive or negative. For example, the effect might be negative in the case that others in the society view this act of peaceful protesting as an uprising or a rebellion. There’s a possibility that people will be protesting without grasping the concept of what they are fighting for. On the contrary, the effects might be positive in the case that other individuals in the society see this act of peaceful resistance and use it as a benefit to constructively work on bettering their society. In the case of the very well known civil rights activist Rosa Parks, the impact on society was irrevocably positive. In times of segregation, it was lawful …show more content…
To inspire others, he stated “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” This statement explains that people should make an effort to keep their feet on the ground, but when the times comes, people need to react with all their might. This quote is very powerful because when reiterated, it serves to prove that people should not be afraid to take risks and stand up for what they believe to be right. Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., was an American professional boxer and civil rights activist. He changed his birth-name because he felt it was a “slave name” and he wanted to encompass himself within the Muslim community, inspiring others to
Peaceful resistance to laws has a positive impact on society. Because it's not harming anybody and they're standing up for what they believe in and they have equal rights to every one else. One example was Rosa Parks. At the time, blacks had to go to the back of the bus and one day she decided she was going to stay in the front of the bus because she was tired. She was also making a statement that people should be able to sit wherever they choose to.
What some viewed as "draft dodging", was actually Ali's way of expressing the libertarian belief of non-aggression. According to Ali, "Why should me and my other so-called 'negroes' go 10,000 miles away from home, here in America, to drop bombs and bullets on other innocent brown people who's never bothered us and I will say directly: No, I will not go." His refusal to go to war resulted in the removal of his boxing title and a five year prison sentence. He followed his act of peaceful resistance to laws by exercising his First Amendment right by travelling the country and speaking against the war. He believed that since the United States was not treating its African American citizens with equal respect as its white citizens, then the African Americans should not have to fight equally among them in war. Ali's refusal to comply with the military draft evoked the government's attention and forced them to acknowledge the current unfair treatment of their African American citizens. His practice of civil disobedience heightened the awareness of racial inequality for many people of the United States, and encouraged them to request the fair treatment of African
Yes peaceful resistance to laws positively impact society because then society knows that there wants to be change and society would then join in as well and follow the leaders to actually be able to get the chance that they want to be able to actually make a change in the law because if they do it in an awful manner that can create chaos then it wouldn’t really cause any change because then they would be part of another problem taking the attention of the main reason they were protesting for and they really would not accomplish anything because the ones resisting would then be creating a disorder in what they do. In order to get change the people who want change would then would have to first comply to make the process easier and not make it as complicated as possible.
Peaceful resistance to laws impacts a free society in a positive way. If people were to resist laws in a destructive manner it would cause a great outburst of violence not solving the problem at hand. I believe that when people resist laws in a peaceful manner they get respected and followed by almost everyone, like the protest led by Mohandas Gandhi. Gandhi protested for India’s freedom from the British rule which began on March in 1930, he had a history of fighting for Indians’ rights, this was just one of his many battles that he won.
Civil disobedience allows change in a government by protecting someone’s beliefs and ending discrimination. By taking a stand for a person's belief it can give the opportunity for others to witness different sides to the situation.
Peaceful resistance of laws by itself does not impact a free society at all. In a free society like the United States, it is not the action itself that affects society, but the emotions evoked within society.
Depending on what perspective to take on this question, peaceful resistance to laws can have a positive or negative effect as different stakeholders from different perspective viewed peaceful resistance differently. Peaceful protest from the perspective of the protesters engaged in civil disobedience is a peaceful way to bring awareness to the injustices happening in society, while to that of the government and officials, it would seem as disrupting the “peace” in society.
In my opinion, peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society. The whole point of a "free society" is where the people have a say and are able to stand up for what they believe in. If a law seems unjust to them, they should have the right to protest it or disobey it, as long as it is done peacefully. Martin Luther King is one of the most influential leaders in history. Without his non-violent protests and civil disobedience, the unjust laws of segregation might still be in place. One of my favorite quotes from MLK's "Letter From Birmingham Jail" is when
To ask whether peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society is to miss the purpose of peaceful resistance. If civil disobedience is necessary, it is because the society is not free in some way. Of course, no society is entirely authoritarian or free - real-world societies fall somewhere on a spectrum between the two. But to call a society ‘free’ in which some people are oppressed is to say that this oppression is of secondary importance. This is a dangerous fallacy - when some people in a society are not free, everyone is negatively affected.
I believe that peaceful resistance to laws can positively impact a free society. As long as someone is not harming another person or groups of people while refusing to follow certain laws then they should be able to carry on. Sometimes what this person is refusing may be wrong, but they are still entitled to their opinions and beliefs. A famous boxer, Muhammad Ali, once refused to participate in the military draft of 1960 for the Vietnam War. His argument was, "Why should me and other so-called 'negroes' go 10,000 miles away from home, here in America, to drop bombs and bullets on other innocent brown people who's never bothered us and I will say directly: No I will not go" (Mullen). He received so much hatred and criticism for his decision.
He was a conscientious objector. He was initially imprisoned and his protest was public and he did not run from his punishment. The opposition movement grew around the country from a few disparates to a full on movement that ended up also propelling forward the Civil Rights movement. While Ali’s protest was more religious based a large group of those protesting cited the diversion of federal funds to a war and with the support of Martin Luther King, Jr. the focus of protest also began to include an upset around a disproportionate amount of blacks being drafted and sent to the front lines. In this case society as a whole was forever changed, and while Ali wasn’t the first protestor nor the last of prominence, his protest vaulted the opposition into the lime light and ended up propelling forward progress in Civil
Civil disobedience is a positive, non-violent way to draw attention to something that you care about. Peaceful resistance has a positive impact on our society overall. This is part of American culture and people’s expectations for those living in a free country where the right to protest is built into our fundamental belief system from a young age. We grow up understanding that there are ways to draw attention to our concerns, beliefs, or values when we feel the
One of the most well-known civil rights activist is Rosa Parks. She stated that “You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right,” (Korpe). I feel as though this statement is undeniably true. Without standing her ground against segregation in Alabama, people may have never realized how truly wrong everything was. Parks was considered to be the leader of the “…earliest substantial demonstration against segregation…” (Korpe). This shows that standing up for what is right has a domino affect. Those who have the same views will support a cause in which they are passionate for, even if it is considered illegal. Rosa parks stood as an exemplary figure for one who was exercising her rights in a free society and brought to attention what rights she was not being given, even though they were technically
Civil disobedience is a form of political participation because it is a way make others see that change is wanted. In the Constitution it says “the right of the people peaceably to assemble”. The Constitution gives the people the right to protest, assemble peacefully, to oppose a law, and to criticize a law. Civil disobedience is the best way to show that you don’t agree with a law, government, or there is something you would like to protest.
Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society. Rather than having violent movements and harming citizens, it is better to peacefully resist. Once a violence is used, the resistance to the law becomes nulled. People tend to not follow a violence protester. Once a violent riot starts, chaos is everywhere. People forget what they are truly fighting for. They unconsciously run away with the fear of getting harmed and dare not to go back. A peaceful resistance on the other hand leads citizens to join and support. People are able to see what they are fighting for and their real intentions. They are able to stand and cause no problem to people passing by as they are showing their support through silent voices. Many famous activists and leaders are for nonviolence. Mahatma Gandhi, a primary leader of India’s independence