Examples Of Civil Disobedience In America

Civil Disobedience in America
There are many traps one can fall into when beginning an essay on civil disobedience. From the quoting of Thoreau, “There will never be a really free and enlightened state until the state comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived,” to the Merriam Webster dictionary definition, “the refusal to obey governmental demands or commands especially as a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing concessions from the government” smoothly guiding the reader into civil disobedience. Thoreau, emphasising the power of the individual, and the definition setting a foundation, highlight different facets of peaceful protest. However, both of these examples, even when woven together in a not-so-witty introduction, fail to recognize the magnitude of the role civil disobedience has played in shaping the modern world. Non-violent civil disobedience comes in many forms, always with the public intention of achieving some sort of government change in a manner not physically harmful to others. Through appreciating the dynamic place peaceful resistance has in world history, society can recognize the potential civil disobedience has as a force for good.
The role of protest has forever been a part of the United State’s history.
America was founded by a semi-organized, angry band of colonies protesting their oppressive mother’s laws. From the Boston Tea Party, to the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr., to the student protests against the Vietnam War, many major turning points in the fabric of America derived from acts of civil disobedience. Without the courageous acts of people willing to accept harsh consequences, these movements would have failed. Without these movements, The United States would not necessarily guarantee the freedoms, like a woman’s right to vote, many Americans take for granted
today.
The concept of civil disobedience extends beyond the simple “peaceful resistance.” It begins with one person tired of a lack of progress, standing by their strong moral codes and taking action. When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, she peacefully broke a law on purpose, sparking a movement that spread nationally. One of her supporters, Martin Luther King Jr., wrote that civil disobedience “first does something to the hearts and souls of those committed to it...reaching the opponent and so stirs his conscience.” There is extended thought and intention behind any act of civil disobedience with a tangible goal in mind requested of the government to accept. There is a strict moral code protesters hold fast to, and attempt to convey. There is a respectful dialogue between dissenters and the public with the intention, as MLK asserted, of winning over the conscious of the public. Only when the general public gets in line behind this belief can effectual change be made.
However, civil disobedience can get out of hand if not managed correctly. All too often peaceful protests with a positive intention on sturdy moral grounds turn violent from all the pent up anger and aggression. When this happens, people and property get damaged, mitigating the great benefits of civil disobedience. But, activists participating in civil disobedience understand that protesting in ways that isolate many people, or hurt society, will hurt their cause. And likely, their goals will not be reached, defeating the whole purpose of the civil disobedience. America is imperfect. It will always be objectively imperfect. America is a dynamic country, always revising, sculpting, and adding laws as the times change. However, where will the inspiration to progress stem from if there is no person or group advocating for change? Where will the oppressed minority groups gain strength from if no one can speak out? How can a society function without healthy conversations, embracing a diverse range of opinions, seeing beyond the single story? Peaceful protest ensures society will always have an ability to speak up and challenge the government to see all sides. For example, when President Trump banned all immigration from certain Muslim countries, he directly discriminated against innocent refugees in desperate need of assistance. Within days of the executive order, thousands of dissenters peacefully protested at airports across the country where immigrants were being held. Through raising their voices, protesters caused Trump to release all migrants stranded at airports. If society stifles the freedom to spark change, progress will halt. Minority groups will suffer. The majority will reign without challenge. There is no black and white answer, nor non-cheesy method to conclude this exaltation of civil disobedience. When something so precious, like the right to peacefully protest, is at stake in 2017 America, the importance of civil disobedience must not only be recognized, but praised and embraced as the leading method of social change and political accountability over the next four years.