Peaceful Resistance To Our Society Analysis
Peaceful resistance to laws does not only positively impact a free society, it is essential to a free society. In our great nation, it is our First Amendment Constitutional right through the exercise of assembly, speech, press, and petition. Civil disobedience in order to resist a law is perfectly justifiable, as long as the law is unjust. Morris Leibman's "Civil Disobedience: A Threat to Our Society" is accurate when is said that "There can be no law to which obedience is optional". This is correct, there needs to be compliance in order for safety for the general public, however peaceful resistance to a law, when no one is being hurt, and done within the law is perfectly acceptable. What is meant by this is peaceful resistance is peaceful assembly, lobbying
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politicians, and petitions. Just like the Civil Rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1950s and 1960s. However when an unjust law or unconstitutional law is put into effect it is not only citizens right, but duty to disregard the law.
The Social Contract written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in 1762 also embodies this same concept of when a government oversteps its boundaries it is the mission of the people to abolish the said government and establish a new one. A great example of this is when our very own nation fought and won against the British empire in 1776. Thus showing it is necessary to overthrow an unjust government. There are other examples in history of this through Mahatma Gandhi and leading his people to freedom. The biggest example of when peaceful resistance to an unjust law in today's American society should be utilized it when it comes to the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act is unjust law because it it neither a natural law nor an eternal law. A natural law is a law that is always going to be needed no matter what. Regardless of what happens in society. Eternal law is law that God gave to us, and will never change. By these definitions it shows that the Affordable Care Act is neither of these. The government should never require its citizens to buy a product from a private
company. There is no noticeable resistance except for through lawsuits, none of which have been successful however. In conclusion, in modern day society unjust laws have peacefully resisted through lawsuits, while throughout history there has been more violent means of achieving justice. However one theme always remains the same however. Peaceful resistance to unjust laws is absolutely necessary to a free society. Thus meaning it has a positive impact on free society. Peaceful resistance to an unjust law at the height of Joseph Stalin's rule in communist Russia would have been with hostility and danger. Communist Russia was not a free state, and since the citizens were denied their right to peaceful resistance only proves that without the right to peaceful resistance, there is no way it can be a free society. It is a positive impact for a free society to have peaceful resistance
politicians, and petitions. Just like the Civil Rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1950s and 1960s. However when an unjust law or unconstitutional law is put into effect it is not only citizens right, but duty to disregard the law.
The Social Contract written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in 1762 also embodies this same concept of when a government oversteps its boundaries it is the mission of the people to abolish the said government and establish a new one. A great example of this is when our very own nation fought and won against the British empire in 1776. Thus showing it is necessary to overthrow an unjust government. There are other examples in history of this through Mahatma Gandhi and leading his people to freedom. The biggest example of when peaceful resistance to an unjust law in today's American society should be utilized it when it comes to the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act is unjust law because it it neither a natural law nor an eternal law. A natural law is a law that is always going to be needed no matter what. Regardless of what happens in society. Eternal law is law that God gave to us, and will never change. By these definitions it shows that the Affordable Care Act is neither of these. The government should never require its citizens to buy a product from a private
company. There is no noticeable resistance except for through lawsuits, none of which have been successful however. In conclusion, in modern day society unjust laws have peacefully resisted through lawsuits, while throughout history there has been more violent means of achieving justice. However one theme always remains the same however. Peaceful resistance to unjust laws is absolutely necessary to a free society. Thus meaning it has a positive impact on free society. Peaceful resistance to an unjust law at the height of Joseph Stalin's rule in communist Russia would have been with hostility and danger. Communist Russia was not a free state, and since the citizens were denied their right to peaceful resistance only proves that without the right to peaceful resistance, there is no way it can be a free society. It is a positive impact for a free society to have peaceful resistance