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Forms Of Protest

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Living within the age of the 21st century, it is almost impossible to open a newspaper and not find an article about some type justice issue violation. There are so many problems within our society that can be solved, but only if they are addressed in the correct manner. The most common means of addressing an issue is through protest. The three basic forms of protest are nonviolent direct action, persuasion, and "By any means necessary" direct action. From these different forms of protest the next debated topic becomes, what is the most effective means of protest? In this paper I will demonstrate that "By any means necessary" direct action is the most effective means of protest by examining all of the forms and arguments in a comparative fashion. …show more content…

This philosophy was popularized by Socrates. Socrates is a man from Greece and is historically known as the father of western philosophy. The world knows of him through the writings of his students Xenophon and Plato. His teachings focused on, "how to live a good and virtuous life. The claim attributed to him by Plato that "an unexamined life is not worth living"… he inspired his followers to think for themselves instead of following the dictates of society and the accepted superstitions concerning the gods" (Mark 1). Do to Socrates' carefree lifestyle of no conformity, he was often accused of breaking laws and customs. Similarly, The Apology and Crito, speaks of Socrates experience with these accusations and how he believes persuasion is the most effective means of protest. The Apology is a dialogue written by Plato in 399 BC. The Apology features a speech presented by Socrates during his trial with the government. In this trial Socrates is accused of corrupting the youth, rhetoric, and not recognizing the gods of the state. In The Apology, Socrates does everything, but apologize. He defends his case by mean of persuasion in presenting facts and reasoning. Sadly, by the end of the trial, the Athenian Council is not convinced and sentences Socrates to …show more content…

The phrase "By any means necessary" was coined by Malcom X. He is known as being a public voice for the Nation of Islam and black nationalism. Malcom X, "challenged the mainstream civil rights movement and the nonviolent pursuit of integration championed by Martin Luther King Jr. He urged followers to defend themselves against white aggression" (history.com 1). The concept of by any means necessary is to, "Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery" (X 1). Moreover, this concept is deeply explained in his speech, The Ballot or

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