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Civil Disobedience Essay

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Civil Disobedience Essay
Civil Disobedience Essay: King and Thoreau

Civil disobedience is a force needed to purify the condemnation of injustices within a society. Civil disobedience can be defined as the refusal to comply with certain laws as a peaceful form of political protest. Such protests are needed when the rights of citizens are being violated and their voices are being unheard. Thoreau’s ideas were becoming heavily common as they were being used by Civil Rights Activists. These ideas which these activists used greatly affected the way our government now functions today. What if such actions did not take place and only the voices of inequality were heard? Would we not still remain in a society of injustice? ((Rhetorical question))
Civil disobedience – this form of political protest – must be distinguished from cases of crime and acts of civil rebellion. The purpose of civil disobedience is not create fear or establish injustice above the law, but to create justice and equality that may reside under the law. The Civil Rights Movement is a perfect illustration of how the government can be moved and changed to produce a positive outcome toward the community and its citizens. Martin Luther King Jr. followed in Thoreau’s footsteps, his one inspiration, by partaking in acts of civil disobedience. His civil acts promoted a form of influence upon government that did not evoke harm or fear. Thoreau stated in his writing that "It is not a man's duty, as a matter of course, to devote himself to the eradication of any, even the most enormous wrong, but it is his duty, at least, to wash his hands of it, and, if he gives it no thought longer, not to give it practically his support." This means that when a government displays inequality, illustrates injustice, or portrays discrimination ((parallelism)), it is up to people to take action. Gandhi, a highly credited figure in civil disobedience protests, who also supports citizen action, states that “non-cooperation is a measure of discipline

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