The Role Of Civil Disobedience In The United States

A free society has never been synonymous with a perfect society. For as long as organized governments have existed, there has been dissension between the governed and those who govern. As tiresome as this discord may be, it is a representation of everything that democracy stands for. In any free nation that values the rights of its citizens, it is the willingness of the people to peacefully resist injustice that facilitates progress. The nonviolent defiance of laws has long been the precipitating force in the development of free nations. Behind many of the world's greatest democracies are stories of civil disobedience. When American colonists faced tyranny from the British monarchy, they did not lay down their rights. Instead, they defied
By peacefully resisting laws that digress from the principles of a free society, protestors have the ability to draw attention to issues that hinder the development of justice and work to resolve them. Although this can be seen throughout the entirety of the United States' history, it is perhaps most notable in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Prior to the Civil Rights Movement, the U.S. had long stood as a country that preached equality but practiced segregation. The word "colored" had become synonymous to "second-class" as many African Americans were forced into colored restrooms, colored schools, and colored seating at restaurants. However, through the efforts of thousands of peaceful protestors, the United States began to develop into a country that embraced the idea that "all men are created equal." Among the most notable accounts of civil disobedience during the Civil Rights Movement is that of Rosa Parks. After getting arrested for refusing to relinquish her seat to a white passenger, Parks initiated a city-wide boycott that eventually led to the desegregation of public buses. Through this peaceful resistance of a law that she believed to be unjust, Parks was able to alter the rules of an entire system and proved that peaceful protest can bring change where peaceful obedience may
This fact is one that has increasingly come to light within recent months through the Standing Rock protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The Dakota Access Pipeline was set to tunnel under the Missouri River, a river that acts as the sole water source for the Standing Rock tribe. Worried that a potential breach in the pipeline could result in the devastation of their water supply, the Standing Rock tribe set up camp along the construction site, refusing to budge until their voices were heard. They, along with hundreds of other tribes, protested through frigid temperatures and hostile law enforcement in an attempt to halt the building of the pipeline. Finally, in early December, their efforts prevailed and they were told that the Dakota Access Pipeline would be rerouted to avoid the Missouri River. Although this was a significant achievement for the tribe, the protestors' victory was about much more than an oil pipeline. Their civil disobedience spurred nationwide conversations about the government's treatment of Native Americans and the importance of protecting the environment. These conversations are ones that the entire nation, no matter which side of the Dakota Access Pipeline issue one takes, has benefited