Civil Disobedience

One popular example of peaceful resistance to our laws is the Rosa Parks incident. Parks peacefully disobeyed the segregation laws which required her, and other people of color, to move to the back of the bus in order for white people to have the front seats. When Parks broke the law, she also made a statement. She had harmed no one, and done no harm to any property. All she did was refuse to move to the back of a bus. Her act of disobedience prompted the skepticism of segregation laws and helped prove the fact that just because something is lawful, does not mean it is moral and just because

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.

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.

The history of American, non violent, civil disobedience depicts how peaceful resistance can shape public opinion, voice dissent, and change unjust laws. In both Contemporary and past history do we see the role that protest has on our Democracy,and how dissenters, such as Susan B Anthony and Martin Luther King Jr, can become American heroes. The United States was founded on an act of civil disobedience, and even in Modern America, principled dissent has become the highest form of

Though, I feel strongly that no law should be broken, I do see purpose in the peaceful disobedience provided you are willing to suffer the consequences. Therefore I would have to agree that it positively impacts a free society. We are all under strict laws and it is our freedom to either obey or not, with the latter resulting in consequence. Take for instance, the protest against injustice, the harmless act that took place in the Negro movement with Martin L. King. Not to mention the fact pointed out in Arguments against Civil Disobedience, sums up the fact that if we do not argue a point, another point would never be made. Not all situations are to be defended but some should. It is like a growth among us, which completely leads me to disagree with (as mentioned in the attacks), self-law making. There must be a form of discussion taking place (within certain levels of citizens) in order to advance in changes to laws as they were originally written. That is what makes us a free society.

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.

Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts our free society. It allows us to make our voices heard and spread a message if there is a law that we find is either unfair or goes against our protected freedoms. Peaceful resistance has helped our country grow on multiple occasions. It has always been a part of our countries history and is well protected by our First Amendment rights. Due to this, There is little to know doubt that peaceful resistance has positively effected the lives of many Americans.

I believe that peaceful resistance to laws both positively and negatively impacts a free society. Civil disobedience is the refusal to obey certain laws and government demands one considers unjust, and accepting the consequences. The first amendment prohibits Congress to enact any law that would intervene with any person's civil rights. Though everybody knows this, why are there discussions about what people can and cannot refuse to do. Some people refuse to do things because it goes against their faith, which as stated earlier is allowed according to the first amendment. While others refuse to see what is right in front of them, in the very center of the Declaration of Independence.

Does peaceful resistance to laws positively or negatively impact a free society? In your answer, incorporate the principles and specific examples (including current events) that support your conclusion.

I believe that peaceful resistance positively impacts a free society. Peaceful resistance has been used by activists for hundreds of years, examples being Mahatma Gandhi and even the founders of the United States. Peaceful resistance has consistently been used as a way for people to convey to their government their views and their feelings in a nonviolent and amicable way. It has been used as a tool for people such as the women of the Suffragette Movement, the people of the Civil Rights Movement, and even for people today to stand up for what they believe in and to make their voices heard.

The aims of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s was to end racial discrimination and segregation. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the leaders of this movement and an advocate for non-violent protests and peaceful resistance. Starting with the Montgomery Bus Boycott, MLK lead a series of non-violent protests, inspired by Thoreau’s essay. Blacks marched, boycotted, and protested for their rights and were arrested in the process. In 1963, the March on Birmingham occurred, to encourage integration and desegregation in Birmingham. Children as young as six years old marched and were arrested. It captured the attention of the nation and employed real social and legal change, as the city was required to integrate and hire African Americans downtown. MLK was a part of the Birmingham Campaign and was arrested and imprisoned, writing his famed “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”. In this letter, MLK expresses his reasons for the protest and his desire for equality. MLK stated “in no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law … I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law” (King). In this passage, he states his willingness to accept his punishment for breaking the law, a small price to pay for the possible change he could make in

Peaceful resistance does not negatively impact a free society. In having the right of free speech and the right to a peaceful protest, the people can express their opinions to their political leaders. These political leaders want to keep their jobs, and will listen to what the people are saying, and will then make changes to policy that make life more free for the people. In the case of pre-Revolutionary fighters like Paul Revere and John Adams, peaceful resistance meant throwing British tea into the Boston Harbor and promoting the halting of consumption of British goods.

But in a society where there is no corruption, where liberty is completely granted, and people can say and do as they want, peaceful resistance may not be the greatest impact to a society. In a free society, peaceful resistance to laws negatively impacts it. This is due to the fact that a free society entails a perfect society and the need to resistance is not needed. The definition of a free society, given by Dr. Dale Bach is “one where a person can satisfy his fundamental human needs while diligently avoiding significant harm to others in the process.” With a society like this, we can assume that all needs and wants by a person can be met without any contrast by other ideas and values.

I think peaceful resistance to laws positively impact a free society because of many multiple reasons and one reason being because of safety. Keeping our country safe is something we need to do a better job at. A lot of people in our country are feeling less safe and secure and no one should have to feel that way in the country or place they live in. Another reason I feel like peaceful resistance to laws positively impact a free society is because it would make our country way more peaceful overall. The fighting in the US has gotten way out of hand and I am hoping trump will be able to do something about that. I feel like if you are to start a fight over something there should be a big punishment. The US should be peaceful as it was once before.

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