Reflection On Civil Disobedience

Civil Disobedience is something used in our country often. Civil disobedience has been controversial throughout the years. Some people think civil disobedience is harmful to our country but there are many reasons as to why it is beneficial. Civil disobedience is beneficial for many reasons including people’s voices will be heard, it unites people together, and people have a right to fight unfair laws. These reasons are found in supporting documents. It is clear that civil disobedience is beneficial to our country.

Civil disobedience is the act of peacefully standing up for your beliefs; willingly accepting the consequences that go along with breaking the law that you find unjust. Peaceful and bold, civil disobedience gets your point across and makes a difference while still practicing grace and love. Many influential changes have come about because of others peacefully protesting for change over laws that took away moral rights of people. In most cases nonviolent protesting closes with the desired results (or at least a compromise) without the brutality and disgrace that walks with violent protesting.

Civil disobedience is the active refusal to comply with laws that is thought to be unfair or inequitable. Civil disobedience typically is a peaceful form of protest by the people, to force concessions from the government. Throughout the United States history, civil disobedience has played a significant role in many of the social reforms that helped frame our country today. Several famous American activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. risked punishment, such as violent retaliatory acts or imprisonment, to attempt to bring about changes in the law. Civil disobedience has forced our government to recognize and talk through social problems to find solutions that worked for everyone, although in some instances it has deemed illegal, resulting in prosecution.

1)In my perspective, I have divergent thoughts on my stances, it’s like approaching a situation where you don’t know what to do. In society’s, there are different sort of people, each person has their own rationality; different attachments; If everyone started to conclude for whatever they felt was right or wrong there would be chaos, after all we don’t live in a perfect world. In the course of history this has led to dilemmas even today in our sadistic world, people have been told that their judgment just isn’t right; there own beliefs which they have made every decision in their life just isn’t good enough for society’s set norms. I believe that we don’t have the right to ignore laws, but we have the power to fight against laws that are unjust.

In order to demand for a change, most people would take action and oppose by resisting. One may peacefully resist while others choose violence over logic. Civil disobedience is defined as “the act of opposing a law one considers unjust and peacefully disobeying it while accepting the consequences.” Civil disobedience plays a crucial part in peaceful protests. Peaceful resistance to laws mostly cause a negative impact to a free society.

What is civil disobedience? Civil disobedience is the opposing of a law one finds unjust by refusing to follow it and accepting the consequences. So many people have performed acts of civil disobedience from Martin Luther King Jr. to everyday people. But what people did as civil disobedience a hundred years ago is completely different today. It is such an important part of a free society because it helps to define what a free society is, shows the true meaning of freedom of speech, and shows the government that citizens are not willing to follow an unjust law without violence.

An influential man by the name of Malcolm X once said that "A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything." His point being that if one does not take action towards something they are passionate about, then they are not living a purposeful life. He stood for a revolution like many others throughout history and present. Civil disobedience is a common avenue of protesting. An example of this would be Thoreau 's refusal of paying a poll tax in protest of the Mexican 'American war. He claimed this was his necessary act of civil disobedience. However the passive nature of civil disobedience is no longer as effective in making change in comparison to more abrasive political demonstrations such as lobbying, and rioting.

Peaceful Resistance has had its place in many societies around the world for centuries. Examples of this powerful political tool exist from the Roman Plebeians refusing to work in order to bring change to the harsh Roman consul to the notorious Indian Independence movement led by Mohandas Gandhi. Peaceful Resistance is not only effective through its influential and compelling tactics, but it is absolutely necessary when those in power refuse to acknowledge the issues in front of them. In order to advance anything, attention has to be brought to the issue at hand. Without people willing to be peacefully passionate, there will be no LASTING change. Laws are put in place to protect people, however when that protection discriminates or takes away

Civil disobedience, nonviolently breaking a law and accepting its consequences, positively impacts a free society. This truth can be seen clearly through the American movement for racial equality, because the cause was undeniably just. By accelerating legislative change, leveraging social tension, and increasing civic engagement, the ongoing fight for racial equality demonstrates that civil disobedience is a force for good.

The United States Constitution grants citizens the right to peacefully protest and petition the government; however, some people believe that civil disobedience should be expunged from the list of rights people have. I believe this would go against the notion of the United States being the "home of the free", freedom is only freedom when there are no restrictions. Yes, civil disobedience does case complications between the people and the government, but wasn't the government made " for the people, but the people"? Do they not have the right to live under laws they approve of?

We must do what we can to call out injustices and stand up for those whose rights have been stepped on without violating the rights of others, and civil disobedience is the best way to call attention to an injustice, garner support, and seek change. Peaceful resistance to laws has a positive impact on free societies because without it, the societies aren’t free - if we are unable to protest against what is wrong, can we say we are truly

Civil disobedience is the refusal to conform to certain laws as a form of harmless political protest, while being aware of the consequences that could result because of it. Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society because actions are taken due to people letting their voice be heard. While some may argue that the main reasons of this are the five basic rights mentioned in the first amendment (freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition), this issue goes far beyond that. Without civil disobedience, many historical events might have not played such an important role as they did to the point that they changed America in numerous ways; not to mention the courageous people who still take part in protests today to claim the rights they should have.

In 21st century United States, the American society has continue to push the idea of social acceptance. From the mid-1900s to now, anti-racist and and anti-sexist agendas (among other things) have advocated for equal rights and representation through protesting. But now, with their ability to make an equal impact on American society, I am led to conclude that civil disobedience in the form of protesting is unacceptable due to the basic principles of the social contract and legislative representation.

Civil disobedience has always been a controversial topic that will never stop being discussed because it is an outlet for citizens to exercise their democracy. Throughout history, there have been a plethora of acts of civil disobedience that have shaped America into the country that it is today. Peaceful resistance to laws positively impact a free society because it allows those in authority to see that the rules that are in place are unfair and by doing this, those that are resisting the laws incite positive change in the society that they live in.

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.