John Snowden travelled to Hong Kong and released secrets that the NSA had been holding from the American public. Ranging from details that concern phone sweeps and the NSA's ability to do so to the techniques used by NSA hackers, Snowden revealed information that some say violates the Constitution. When this man traveled to a different continent to reveal this information, he had already accepted the fate of what would happen. This is a very useful example when explaining civil disobedience. Snowden knew that he would have to face the consequences due to his actions but that did not stop him from doing what was right for himself and his country. He believed that he was doing the right thing and was willing to pay the consequences. I believe that civil disobedience is a positive influence on society as long as it stays civil. …show more content…
When riots break out, it can cause people to feel threatened and anger others even more so than they would have been in the first place. This results in a very negative impact on people's perceptions of whatever cause this riot may have been a result of. By encouraging peaceful encounters and staying civil, it can show others that something is wrong enough with the world and society that people are willing to stand up, step out, and possibly get in trouble for doing what they believe is right. In a free society like the one we have in the United States of America, disobedience of any kind is generally looked down upon, civil or not. If more people would be willing to look at civil disobedience in a different light, the world could change for the
Although his essay, Civil Disobedience did not turn into legislation, and did not become a founding document for the US, it was still a critical influence in guiding the developing nation into what it is today. With the help of David Thoreau, the United States was turned into a nation based around just laws and a democratic process that allowed citizen to decide the fate of their nation rather than a monarchy or dictatorship where few people determine life and laws for the many. The section analyzed was the strongest in persuading readers to keep checks on their government and to keep it in line. There is no stronger language within the rest on Civil Disobedience than “Why does it always crucify Christ, and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels.” This line gives a connection to many people during the time the essay was written by comparing their highest prophets to the type of individual the essay is convincing the reader to
People partaking in sit ins were told to take abuse, and were arrested. This movement was used to show that violence was coming from the white community and helped achieve the goals of the civil rights movement towards racial equality. A more recent example of civil disobedience is the woman's march occurring January 21st 2017.
Our disobedience enstils the passion our contemporary society continues to have for what we feel is just. Peaceful resistance to unjust laws benefits a free society by giving the American people a voice in government. History and contemporary media has proven that protesting our governmental ideals is a strong and powerful means of changing the government. Martin Luther King Jr. protested the horrendous treatment of African-Americans in the 1960s by bringing people together in order to end racial segregation in the United States. King included in his Letter From Birmingham Jail that "an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.”
Riots do not make a purpose, except for that they are criminal activities. “Riots are an offense against the public, peace and order” and is defined by “three or more people who are out of control, causing injuries or endangering the safety of others They often violate various laws and cause or threaten property” (n.d., 2008) Police officers will inform that the people have “unlawfully assembled” and they should disperse. If the crowds do not disperse the members can be arrested with multiple chagres ranging from disturbing the peace, rioting or resisting
It's easy to get angry and/or violent protests confused with civil disobedience. Many overlook the effectiveness of civil disobedience and see it as just another way to protest the government but civil disobedience has a long history. A few examples of civil disobedience include Rosa Parks’ famous refusal to move from the back of the bus in 1955; the interracial marriage between Richard and Mildred Loving in 1958; and most recently, the protest against the Dakota Access pipeline construction. In each instance, people stood up for what they thought was just and right.
"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so. "-Socrates. Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society because the society is not free unless it's able to check the government. As long as the protest of the law remains peaceful it is a good thing. It is the public telling the government that they will not let them gain to much power and crush their human rights.
Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society, as it forces people to confront issues, leading to advancements for the true majority of society. As Martin Luther King said in "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," nonviolent direct action creates such a tension that an community is forced to negotiate the issue that is once ignored. This is especially important as usually oppressors have no concept of the severity of a situation, as they have not lived it themselves. People with privileges don't typically see the invisible cruelties needed to maintain the status quo.
He explains civil disobedience as “that it is more important to develop respect for the right, rather than a respect for the law, for people’s obligations are to do what's right”. There are many different people who show civil disobedience in
Oscar Wilde claims "Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man's original virtue. " History past times and past experiences of a variety of disobedience and rebellions has helped shaped how progress has gotten the world and life to be the way it is today. For instance, Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist. She was no ordinary person.
I consider civil disobedience to be an easily-ignored pillar upon which our democracy was founded. In fact we are only established as a nation now because our founding fathers engaged in civil disobedience themselves. We were in a “social contract” of sorts with Great Britain and when we felt that they had not upheld their part of the contract (they did not allow us to create courts to maintain order, or to create a navy to defend ourselves, or to sustain our economy due to an inability to trade with any other countries), Thomas Jefferson concluded that it was our not only our right, but also our duty to break away. And it was Thomas Jefferson that combined all of the works of the great thinkers before him such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke
Another point is that civil disobedience is a beneficial behavior in bringing about stability to this society. In fact, Martin Luther King Jr is the one of the most associated with nonviolent civil disobedience he saw color people getting treated unjustly and getting prosecuted because of their skin color. Another example would be the STC protest that occurred this month; six people refused to get off the bus keeping police on the scene for five hours till one in the morning. The six people got arrested but later they were released.
Although many of his followers did eventually turn to violence, his ideas shaped the civil rights movement and eventually brought justice to this country. In the end, his peaceful example greatly affected our country in a very positive
Civil disobedience against unjust laws established in our society is not done to cause chaos, but to promote equality amongst everyone in society and for the greater good. For example, in the 20th century, people took part in the Civil Rights movement where they protested against segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement that the government legalized. As a result of their efforts, the government passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting discrimination against a person based on their race, color, national origin, religion, and sex, resulting in greater equality for minorities. Due to the Civil Rights Act, it encouraged people with different identities and cultures to come together and exchange ideas, values, and beliefs with one another, and it ultimately moved society forward. In addition, Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist that was arrested because she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus.
Civil disobedience is the act of disobeying governmental commands in a peaceful, non-violent, form of protest. Throughout history, peaceful protest have had a positive impact on free society. Peaceful protest have had the biggest impact during the Civil Rights Movement. During this time, many people have led non-violent protest for their rights, including well known African-American Activist, Martin Luther King Jr.. He was most famously known for his speech, I Have a Dream.
In the end, both of them succeeded and the use of civil disobedience was in fact effective. A more recent example of civil disobedience in history is the protesters of the Keystone XL pipeline. There is a scene in the “Reject and Protect” video of a man speaking in front of a crowd holding a banner. He is using his voice to get his strong message through to others instead of using violence. If more people join their protest, the more likely it is that they will succeed because the president will see that an extreme amount of people are unhappy with the idea of the pipeline.