"If a law is unjust a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so." With the possible permission of the founding father Thomas Jefferson, it seems only logical to conclude that our founders had a favorable liking to civil disobedience. It is a fundamental right granted to every American citizen whether they be Jus sanguinis (citizens of the blood) or Jus soli (citizens of the soil) outlined in the first amendment of the United States Bill of Rights, "... or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." If so outlined in our "Supreme law of the land", can we not thus argue that civil disobedience is a positive right afforded to society. After all, royalist feared the American Revolution because of the change and new ideas that she promised the colonist and every early American. Our founders, James Madison in particular, were great skeptics of …show more content…
We must use our first amendment right to collectivize and nationalize our country. We must defend our right to the "pursuit of life, liberty, and prosperity." For without these standards we will crumble and the United States of America will no longer be the greatest nation on earth, but become marginalized among the world's dictatorships. There is a unique and specific authority that is embedded in the philosophy of defying government. This is an authority that is bestowed directly among the American people through means of the U.S. Constitution. We are mistaken if, as a people, we do not harness those reigns and direct the country down the path her people have carved out. If we cannot allow ourselves to be a nation that sits in retrospect, but rather a nation that conquers our destiny and reforms our missteps. Henry David Thoreau so eloquently stated "Disobedience is the foundation of true liberty, the obedient must be
When a men rule over other men, that can be dangerous and even deadly. The government must control the governed and control itself (Madison 1). A nation’s administration must depend on people for its direction, but there are some reservations that must be maintained. Two views are presented about why the federal system of America should follow a constitution. The first is that usurpations are protected with the division and distinctions in governmental departments (Madison 2).
The rule of law is reflected as a core principle of our nation and vital to ordered liberty. To rightly govern the American rule of law it is essential to acknowledge the continuity between the American Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The United States of America “government” is framed by these two important documents. The principles of the Declaration of Independence constitute the foundation of the government based on the universal equality of all human beings, and the U.S. Constitution founds the political process that is to be followed by the elected officials in governing the people. One cannot be without the other; both are essential for a stable government.
Throughout the annals of American history, the advocation for freedom, and the absorption of ideals such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have been at the forefront of the American belief. These beliefs were implemented in 1776 through the Declaration of Independence. This document was ratified by recalcitrant Americans who would not tolerate subjection to tyrannical rule. The American people hoped this document would seal their fate in relation to Europe, and prove to them, and frankly the entire world, that they were a separate, sufficient nation. But as the years unfolded, the realization that America would continue to be considered an inferior nation arose.
The success of the American Revolution is conventionally viewed as the foundation of the American democratic spirit. However, was this really the case or was it actually a betrayal of the goals of the Revolution? The idea that the Constitution embodies the true spirit of 1776 is not very convincing because it rejected many of the most important things for which the American people were fighting. The colonists wished to gain freedom from the near-tyrannical British government and create a nation that was more decentralized where local governments drove key decisions, including tax policy. However, in the Constitution, these goals of the revolution were ignored.
Birthed from a worldwide past of authoritarian government regimes and founded upon unique principles no other nation had seen before, the United States was born to be symbol of freedom and hope to the world. “We shall be as a city set upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us.” America symbolized freedom of the individual and limited governmental power derived from the consent of the governed, an exceptional concept that sparked a worldwide desire for freedom and voice in the hearts of people. However, resulting from the Industrial Revolution and rise of individual fortunes and originating with the Progressive ideas of Woodrow Wilson, recent American history shows a departing from the founders’ Biblically based values within the leadership,
Today, many deem for a peaceful future, separate from a past filled with war and hatred, and reflect the ideals of Muhammad Ali in preventing oneself from experiencing the torture brought about by a nation’s rules when it does not reflect the wishes of the people. Our nation has made great strides in unifying citizens under one flag and aiming to create a place where civil disobedience is unnecessary. In current society, many still wish to prevail in their own battles against governmental laws and policies in order to gain personal freedoms- similar to that of Ali, maintaining his freedom from the draft. In order to demonstrate what we need from our government, we must break away from what others may feel, and abide by our own morals in the pursuit of preserving personal
The United States is a nation built upon law, democracy, and principles derived from rights. Like anything man-made, there are flaws to be found in this nation, yet also strengths. Since the very first days of the Declaration of Independence’s effects on the colonies to the modern era we live in today, these successes and failures have defined society’s standards. While recently the United States has moved closer to the ideals of the Social Contract and Natural Rights, it has also moved further from the guiding Rule of Law.
Civil disobedience can mean many things to many people. To some people it could mean a non-violent means of protesting or attempting to achieve political goals; however, in the eyes of people like Martin Luther King Jr it could be different. He stated that “one has the moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws”. Martin Luther King Jr prove this by doing many non-violent protest during his time, to fight against segregation. The meaning of civil disobedience is a bit different in Henry Thoreau’s eyes.
Stated in the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." Highlights the common beliefs of Americans, and what they stand to create America into. From the beginning of the American Revolution to modern days. Wars have been fought, reforms have been made, and the tenacity of the past Americans have given us the liberty that they strove for.
If slaves never disobeyed the former laws defending slavery, there would still be slavery in America. As a human being, one disobeys purposely to make an impact on certain issues or events that society disagrees on and that is how progress is made. Disobedience is indeed a valuable trait that promotes social progress. In order to change or make an impact there has to be some form of disobedience.
Throughout the annals of American history, the advocation for freedom, and the absorption of ideals such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have been at the forefront of the American belief. These beliefs were implemented in 1776, through the Declaration of Independence. This document was ratified by recalcitrant Americans who would not tolerate subjection to tyrannical rule. The American people hoped this document would seal their fate in relation to Europe, and prove to Europe, and frankly the entire world, that they were a separate, sufficient nation. But as the years unfolded, the realization that America would continue to be considered an inferior nation arose.
Civil Disobedience is an important moral responsibility of a citizen, however it should not get to the level of illegal activity under any circumstances, because great reform can be brought peacefully not violently. In the title named "On Civil Disobedience" by Mohandas K. Ghandi once said: “No country has ever become or will ever become, happy though victory in war”(Mohandas K. Gandhi , 148). Even that long ago, when war was at high, and people embraced it, he knew that the only thing war brought was death, and depression among civilians. This method of civil disobedience has only resulted into more wars, and no real solutions. The most efficient way to the be civilly disobedient is to be peaceful, but willing to stand up for your cause.
To prosper in a just and moral way, America must stand united. Thoreau demonstrates the accountability between the two parties: “The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted” (Thoreau, 1849/1998, p. 127). The people who compose a nation must not be complacent and inactive. Inactivity prevents progress.
Herbert J. Storing, an Associate Professor of Political Science, in “The Case Against Civil Disobedience,” writes, “One of the practical consequences of this institution [civil disobedience] is to divert disobedience and even revolution into the channel of law” (97). What Storing is saying is that civil disobedience will encourage people to break the laws and they will hide under civil disobedience to avoid the law. Also, civil disobedience might split society by creating disagreements with the people, and it could create a political instability. However, Storing fails to see that those who break an unjust law, as discussed above, do not avoid the law, in fact they show respect to the law as they willingly accept the consequences. By accepting the consequences, they show that they are not acting for their own interests but for society’s.
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world” These astonishing words that Mahatma Gandhi said made me suppose that Civil Disobedience is a Moral Responsibility of a citizen because when breaking certain laws, a citizen perhaps incorporate a good intention or a bad intention for breaking it. Citizens break the law occasionally to have their beliefs be heard so change can be assemble. Some ways that Civil Disobedience can be a Moral Responsibility would be breaking the law for the right intentions. An example of breaking the law for the right intentions could be The Salt March that Gandhi Created or, Rosa Parks standing up for her beliefs about her actions, MLK wanting equal rights with caucasian. Illegal Immigrants coming into the