Persuasive Speech On Civil Disobedience

On The Duty of Civil Disobedience, written by Henry David Thoreau, explains that civil disobedience is the act of standing for your beliefs even though they are against the law. Thoreau goes on to say that the government (because it is ruled by the majority) is not always right for everyone especially the individual and the minority. Over the course of American history, there have been many different groups formed for the purpose of civil disobedience. The two that I am going to focus on are the activists of the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panthers of the Black Liberation Movement. The Civil Rights Movement began in 1954 with the case of Brown vs. the Board of Education. It was basically lead by Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Disobedience has been around for hundreds of years. This a practice first put into play by a man by the name of Henry David Thoreau who believed that if you didn’t agree with a rule then you should act against it in a nonviolent way, and be willing to accept any punishment that comes with it. His teachings were followed by famous activists such as Ghandi, and Martin Luther King Jr., and many others.

There are many examples of civil disobedience. One of which is the story about Cesar Chavez. Along with how he stated The United Farm Workers

Civil disobedience is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as "a refusal to obey governmental commands especially as a nonviolent means of protest."(Jacobus) We can see an example of this in U.S. history, when this theory was applied during the Civil Right Movement. The laws back then restricted African Americans from being able to attend public schools or use public restrooms that were designated as "white only." Even though they had paid taxes like everyone else, these types of segregation laws targeted minorities and made them second-rate citizens. Martin Luther King, who was sincere in exposing

Civil disobedience has been shown in a great amount of different ways throughout the years. Martin Luther king Jr. expressed his way of civil disobedience by taking direct action but in a calm way which was effective. He wanted the people to be aware of what was going on and open doors for better groups of people who weren't given the same rights as others. Henry David Thoreau on the other hand took action as well but in a different manner directly with the U.S. citizens and government because he wanted more individual rights for the people. Both had the same ideas but took action in different ways and at the end, ended up succeeding in their persuasive ways.

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” This quote spoken by historical figure Mohandas K. Gandhi tells how civil disobedience works in fifteen words. Gandhi was a man who used civil disobedience to get what he wanted. This quote reflects on how being peaceful while breaking a government’s laws can lead to results. Civil Disobedience is the refusal to obey certain laws and legally protest against the government’s laws by picketing, boycotting and the refusal to pay taxes. Many people have different opinions about civil disobedience. Some people believe that civil disobedience is not effective as a means of social change. For example, some may say that using civil disobedience will take a long

From the time we are children and throughout the duration of our lives, we are told to abide by certain sets of rules. In most situations this is a perfectly acceptable expectation; speed limits, remaining quiet in libraries, and waiting until the age of twenty-one to drink are all reasonable things to ask of people. After all, these rules and laws are put in place to ensure a peaceful and safe society. However, when these rules begin to infringe upon the rights of certain groups, some citizens turn to civil disobedience as a form of protest. While some may argue that civil disobedience is nothing more than a violation of the law, it has also proven to have a positive impact on society, in more ways than one. Used by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin

Throughout history, American citizens have voiced their opposition to certain legislation they felt were immoral. There have been various examples of protest, one of which ignites a lot of controversy; civil disobedience. Civil disobedience has been used by people who felt they were not being heard. Even though there are people who will argue against its effectiveness, this is a way for individuals to take part in their government and promotes a free society.

Without this civil defiance, laws and government practices would not have undergone the necessary adjustments that have refined the legal structure followed today. Regarding political obligation, which is relative to the topic at hand, most arguments made favoring adherence to the regulations of the government still leave room for an individual to disagree with and even defy the law. In The Revised Definition of Civil Disobedience Due to the Effect of Social Networks, a book that talks about the constantly changing definition of civil disobedience, Sonia Shaikh says, “…utilitarianism states actions and decisions that produce the most utility or happiness are those one should follow. This belief may very well lead to an individual deciding his compliance with the political institution of his country is best, but it can also produce the opposite: an individual may come to realize that only by defying his government (or perhaps supporting the law of another country) will he be able to achieve a more beneficial state” (13). Shaikh clarifies political obligation and its underlying effects as well as the way individuals may believe that disobedience is the only way they can make a change for the better. She showcases the way one may have different understandings of the same law as well as the way one person’s right is another’s

Furthermore, a person who acts with civil disobedience means, in the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “One who breaks an unjust law… openly, lovingly…, and with a willingness to accept the penalty”. In other words, civil disobedience is respectfully breaking a law that is disagreed with, and then openly accepting the consequence. During the world’s history,

How might Mohandas K. Gandhi advise someone to respond to an unjust law? “There are two ways of countering injustice. One way is to smash the head of the man who perpetrates injustice and to get your own head smashed in the process.” It is important for people to take a stand on issues of justice in society. It teaches society to work and resolve their issues, it encourages social advancement, and it helps the people who are directly affected by the situation, and can give them assistance.

Have you ever done something that would be considered that will be called civil disobedience? Civil disobedience is the act of opposing a law one considers unjust and peacefully disobeying it while accepting the consequences. In my opinion civil disobedience is the right way the too disobey the law if it isn’t a violent way of protesting. Peacefully resistance to laws positively and negatively impact a free society. A lot of civil disobedience happens now and days like people protesting when trump was elected president or people protesting with Martin Luther King Jr when he protested. If you want to disobey a law peacefully the best was is to do it in a civil way.

Civil disobedience has been used by the people to get the attention of their government and to hopefully inspire change. Civil disobedience is an act of refusal by a large group of people against certain laws. From Ghandi to Martin Luther King Jr, people have used civil disobedience to enact change. While the concept of civil disobedience has been around for centuries, it hasn’t been called civil disobedience until recently. Protest, rallies, boycotting and worker strikes are forms of civil disobedience. Civil disobedience has been used for social change too. For example, the suffragettes, Rosa Parks and marches to legalize gay marriage have had social ramifications. Civil disobedience can be used to change laws, it publicizes important changes but it can be overshadowed by violence. Civil disobedience is a good way to change laws because it’s usually peaceful, brings attention to controversial laws and brings about social change.

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Nonviolence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our being". The book The Essential Gandhi expresses Gandhi’s views on issues like untouchability, religion, nationality, his movements like civil-disobedience are deeply shown in this book. Readers can learn about Gandhi’s childhood, his early married life, his realization and transition in South Africa, and his ways of approach towards attaining Independence in India. The book did a fantastic job in showing the Gandhi’s principles like non-violence with exemplary contexts.

While Thoreau went to jail for protesting, others who protested in a similar manner declared that they were using Thoreau’s method of civil disobedience (Civil Disobedience, 4). Thoreau believed the individual must always express his or her belief about societal laws. From this, John Locke’s social contract theory included the idea of “tacit consent” which allows disobedience or revolution if the society breaks its part of the contract (Philosophy of Law: Civil Disobedience, 7). Throughout history, non-violent protests have taken many forms, each for different purposes. For example, “The Boston Tea Party, the suffragette movement, the resistance to British rule in India led by Gandhi, the US civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and others, the resistance to apartheid in South Africa, student sit-ins against the Vietnam War, the democracy movement in Myanmar/Burma led by Aung San Suu Kyi are all instances where civil disobedience proved to be an important mechanism for social change.” (Civil Disobedience, 5). Since Thoreau’s creation of civil disobedience, it has played a huge part in the style of protest for many important events in history, effectively spreading the idea around the world. This allows leaders of people who want change to have a safe and efficient method of protest so that the laws of society can