America is a free society, but the result of that is some people are unhappy with the laws put in place to ensure said free society. When that does happen, those people tend to resist the laws to show their discontent to the government. They can either violently resist, which is illegal and penalties are high, or they can peacefully resist. Peaceful resistance, or civil disobedience is quite popular and has proven to be successful. It is also legal and as long as you don't break any laws in the process, cannot be stopped without a valid reason. Peaceful resistance and civil disobedience in America impacts a free society in many ways, more of which are positive and benefit that free society. Civil disobedience was a term coined by Henry David …show more content…
For example, during the African-American civil rights movements, many blacks took part in nonviolent protests and other forms of resistance to the segregation and racism. Unfortunately, the protesters would have to stay strictly nonviolent, lest they would be subject to many forms of persecution. Unfortunately for them, nonviolence and peaceful protests also meant vulnerability to attack. Another problem was the fact that peaceful protests could easily become violent, and very fast. Peaceful resistance could be a gateway to other, more violent forms of resistance. As Harrop Freeman, a Professor of Law with over three different degrees from Cornell, said, “On the one side of the balance is the long history of Negro non-violence and a strong pacifist leadership; on the negative side is the poverty, injustice, police and civilian brutality of the section in which the Negro is brought up. I hope for this great period of change to be achieved non-violently. But I cannot escape the very real chance of non-violence escalating into violence and the necessity of society being understanding and tolerant.” While it is not absolutely negative, this example shows that there is a negative side to peaceful
When it comes to America's History you can clearly see how peaceful protest has brought this world to what it is today. If it wasn't for people such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks who voiced their opinions in a nonviolent manner, it's possible that our world would not have reached this equivalent state. While it is true that peaceful resistance has positively affected our society for centuries, these brave people have faced the consequences. For example, King was arrested after one of his nonviolent protests and sent to Birmingham Jail. While there he wrote the now famous piece "A Letter From Birmingham Jail".
Throughout all of time, people have needed to live according to their own agendas. Being forced to live a certain way has only caused trouble. That is why Henry David Thoreau supported civil disobedience to help people live according to their own beliefs. In the essay “On Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau, the author defined and explained the effect of civil disobedience. Thoreau defined it as, civil disobedience is any peaceful action that demonstrates the disagreement of a person or persons with their government.
Peaceful resistance to laws positively affect a free society. Throughout history, there have been multiple cases of both violent and peaceful protests. However, the peaceful protests are the ones that tend to stick with a society and are the ones that change the society for the better. In April 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter about just and unjust laws while he was in Birmingham jail for peacefully protesting. King came to Birmingham because "injustice is here".
An example of this is with the Underground Railroad (Doc A). The Underground Railroad was a network of black and white abolitionists that helped enslaved people escape to the north. Running away was more common, and less risky, than creating a rebellion (Doc A). The Underground Railroad helped around one thousand people escape the institution of slavery each year (Doc A). Another example of nonviolent resistance is Harriet Tupman's work (Document C).
During the civil rights movement, civil rights leader; Cesar Chavez wrote and published an article to a magazine of a religious organization. Chavez claims that “nonviolence is more powerful than violence” itself. His essay contains many rhetorical appeals and strategies that contribute to him convincing his readers about nonviolence resistance - meaning that they should stop violence and resolve a conflict in peace. Adding on to that line, he makes them feel sympathetic.
Cesar Chavez, labor union organizer and civil rights leader, took the 10th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as an opportunity to remind people about the benefits of nonviolent resistance. Chavez published an article in the magazine of a religious organization devoted to helping those in need. In this article, Chavez shares his views on how nonviolent resistance is more effective than violent resistance. Chavez contracts the outcomes of violence versus nonviolence using an if then format in order to prove nonviolence superior.
Protests and the First Amendment The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives people the right to assemble peacefully and to petition the government to redress grievances, but there is a question that I have asked myself. What are the ways that U.S. citizens can petition or protest the government? To answer this question I had to ask myself other questions that could help me, which are: what does “freedom of petition” mean in the First Amendment?, how do citizens petition the government and how does the government have to respond?, and what have U.S. courts said about this right? So I started looking at government publications, law journals, court cases, and forums.
In order to achieve true freedom one must discover that you can break unjust laws through peaceful protest. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and “The Speech at The March Washington” by Josephine Baker each article passionately argues about the disadvantages of the black community, the equality and power of education. We must learn to act with patients and not guns we must protect are self’s with a pen and paper not violence. Dr. King once4 said “Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. It is unique in history which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it.
When in a violent action the person arguing with you is not going to listen to your morals, nor take them into consideration before injuring or killing you. However, nonviolence resistance allows you to speak your morals and listen to your opponents morals. Additionally, no one gets injured or killed and everything works out calmly. Chavez also says that if people react to every violent action with nonviolent resistance then they will receive support. Others who support nonviolence resistance and would rather see a nonviolent resolution to problems, will support those who take nonviolent actions in a problem they face.
Nonviolent resistance has produced an incredible impact throughout history, most notably during the Civil Rights movement. Cesar Chavez—a civil rights organizer—argues that nonviolence is the ideal approach in the face of injustice. Chavez utilizes allusions and strong diction to develop his argument supporting nonviolent resistance. Chavez uses allusions to add ethos to his argument endorsing nonviolent resistance. To begin with, he refers to Martin Luther King Jr. in the first paragraph.
Peaceful resistant to laws positively impacts our free society today in America because of many specific reasons. One being, it is protected under our first amendment, which allows the citizens of America to the right to petition. This right allows the people, which is what America in truth is all about, to petitions things they don´t like, or want done away with. In today's ever changing society, many people find things unjust, or unfair, and the only ways to deal with those at times is to go down the peaceful way of resisting laws. Now of course, not following a law, or breaking one is never truly the answer, but it takes only one person to make a difference, and at times, that is what is what the United States needs, a rule breaker.
Using nonviolent resistance does not include killing off anyone that doesn’t share the same opinion, it is simply protesting to prove and persuade a need for change. Also, peacefully protesting attracts attention from all over the world; thus, educating more people about a serious issue in society. If no one takes action, no one will realize the problem and it’ll only continue to grow. Also, many political leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, Jr. are extremely known for their delightful use of civil disobedience. Even better, all of them were successful in bringing about a change in society.
“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
Peaceful Resistance no matter what way you look at it, it 's still going against someone whether it involves words or actions, resistance still causes more conflict. The last 5 years we have had people say they want change through these “peaceful protest” but these peaceful protests have done nothing but turn to violent riots were theirs damage to vehicles, business families rely on destroyed, bystanders hurt, officers killed and our country torn apart. Back when Martian Luther King Jr was around and he had his Peaceful Resistance or rallies for equality, they were peaceful and brought our country together with something that needed to be changed, but the protest we’ve had the last 5 years… he would be ashamed of. Peaceful Resistance to laws does negatively impact our free society in America. First going along with what I said about there being “peaceful rallies” even though some people may be at these rallies to make a difference to support their opinion, not everyone can respect that.
It takes a lot out of one person to gain power. Throughout history nonviolence has been proven to overcome violence including; Egypt, India and the USA. Many people think that violence will solve all problems. In fact the best way for the oppressed to gain power is by nonviolence. Many people say that violence is never the answer.