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How Does Civil Disobedience Cause Change

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Over time many things change; laws, beliefs, and even people. But what causes change? Does disobedience create these things to changes? Henry David Thoreau believed that it was one's obligation to disobey laws that were unjust. His actions inspired Mahatma Gandhi to take civil action against Britain how was ruling over them at the time, leading to their independence. Martin Luther King Jr. also believed in civil disobedience which helped him united the majority of African Americans to protest with him in nonviolent ways leading to great change in american societies. But not all disobedience is effective for example, before MLK many Africans wanted to make a change but their anger clouded their judgment leading to deadly riots and protests …show more content…

This was due to the lack of structure and intense anger that the African American people had for people that believed they were not human. This rightful anger lead to riots and revolts that ended in casualties. Some African Americans believed that is what whites deserved, such as Malcolm X. Malcolm X wanted the same thing as MLK but he went about it in a very different way. He believed that you should protect yourself by any means necessary, this meant that he was not afraid of getting into a fight with police or other white men that got in his way. “Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery.” This quotes shows that Malcolm X was very serious about what he believed. This was a less effective way to create a positive change through disobedience, fear can only last so long, but being able to change someone's heart and beliefs will change them forever.

My personal belief is that disobedience can create change, but it the outcome of the disobeying is determined by how one disobeys. If they think through it and want a positive reaction they will disobey in a way that will be productive. If they just want to disobey for the heck of it they will do more damage then good. So yes! Disobedience differently creates change! But it's up to the one disobeying to determine if the changes is positive or negative

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By analyzing statements of Dr. King’s word, his words shows very powerful message across the nations because his strong words motivated people to choose right path and fight for their rights. He states that the person, who breaks laws through non-violence, shows the greatest respect for the laws. By his statement, I believed that Dr. King. trying to shows an individual who follows the rule of civil disobedience will greatly shows the respect for laws; even though an individual will punish by the worse consequences. A person who has to willing to accept the result from the direct actions, self-purification. Negotiation, than she /he will be loyal to the rules

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Martin Luther King used civil disobedience to fight the unjust laws that were thrust upon his people. He would organize marches without permits, sit ins at white only establishments, and engage in activities that were strictly segregated. He believed that it was necessary and patriotic to go against unjust laws. They degraded humans. And he felt the actions he took against those unjust laws were just because they went against the human race and his and others morals.

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Throughout history disobedience has led to great progress and prosperity. Disobedience has led to some of history's greatest social movements. Throughout history, many people have risen and rebelled to create great social progress. I honestly think that disobedience is man's original virtue. Disobedience has brought about change and revolution and can be brought up by anyone, regardless of color and gender.

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Throughout history, laws have been disobeyed that are now, no longer in existence. Now the question remains, when is it okay to resist? Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau both faced this when they both civilly disobeyed against laws that countered their beliefs. Disobedience is only acceptable when it’s civil and the last option. Martin Luther King Jr. faced many obstacles as an African American male.

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is the prime example when talking about civil disobedience, for in the 1960s he was the head of the civil rights movement. MLK’s method required one to think logically; with his reasoning segregation was not only unjust but illogic. He achieved his goals through peaceful marches and sit-ins and often used rhetorical questions to accomplish his shared goal of ending segregation. MLK also did what he did for the long run and so that future generations could live peacefully while Antigone did what she did to bring respect to the gods and the dead. MLK believed an unjust law is no law at all so breaking it in his mind is moral and right.

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Martin Luther King Jr once stated, “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” in his Letter from Birmingham Jail in 1963. He was invoking the principle of civil disobedience. He wasn't justifying breaking laws just because, but instead, meant that you break the law and accept your punishment, in hopes that people will come to see that the law is unethical. Civil disobedience plays an important role in how our society has been shaped up until this point.

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However, it could also be argued that civil disobedience is beneficial to ridding a society of unjust law. If there is law, you have a duty as a citizen to obey the law or you may try to convince those in charge to change them. If using civil disobedience is a method of convincing others to change unjust law, civil disobedience must be unjust. If it is true that being a citizen of a society binds you to obeying the laws, and civil disobedience is an act which breaks the law, then it is not just for

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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.

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If people know their cause, and rally about it peacefully, then great reform will happen. Violence and Law breaking, is not an acceptable form of civil disobedience, it does not solve any problems, in fact it causes new ones to arise. Gandhi knew this:"No country has ever become, or will ever become, happy through victory in war. A nation does not rise that way;"("On Civil Disobedience" by Mahatmas K. Ghandi, 148).There are so many plausible reasons not to break the law, in fact, it rules out any reasons to break laws. Think about it, you can’t protest, or rally if you’re sitting in a jail cell, and you can’t show your opinion when your confined.

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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.

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Civil disobedience is a key component to free society in and of itself. As a primary example, America herself was born from it; The American Revolution began with civil disobedience. If the colonists did not rebel, if they did not fight for their freedoms- albeit violently further on- where would we be today? Where would we be if the Boston Tea Party never happened, if the American people never disobeyed?

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Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" is a powerful and influential essay that advocates for peaceful resistance to unjust laws and government actions. Thoreau argued that individuals have a duty to resist and disobey unjust laws, even if it means facing punishment, in order to promote change in society. Thoreau's ideas on civil disobedience have inspired numerous individuals and movements throughout history, including the Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-Vietnam War Movement, and the Women's Suffrage Movement. Today, civil disobedience remains an important tool for activists and protestors seeking to bring attention to injustices and effect change in society.

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Civil Disobedience Thousands of dedicated people march the streets of a huge city, chanting repetitively about needing a change. They proudly hold vibrant signs and banners as they fight for what they believe in. Expressions of determination and hope are visibly spread across their faces. These people aren’t using weapons or violence to fight for their ideas; simply, they are using civil disobedience.

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However, Dr. King believed in making change by peaceful means. In order to show people how, he joined nonviolent demonstrations. The more people listened to Dr. King and followed his

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Disobedience has always been in the world, it always will be. It is a valuable human trait that promotes social progress and change. In past, it has been through rebellion that change has occurred. Adam and Eve is a perfect example of disobedience leading towards progress. The supposed first two humans on Earth, were told by God not to eat the apples from the Tree of Knowledge.

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