In government there is a term called Civil Disobedience which is the active‚ professed refusal to obey certain laws of government. Civil Disobedience started on March 12‚ 1930 when Mohandas Ghandi began to protest against the British over salt. To answer this question I believe that peaceful resistance to laws positively impact a free society. When they are peacefully standing up for what they believe is right in a respectful way is what matters. They are not trying hurt others‚ but make a difference
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Whether it is the French Revolution from 1789 to 1799‚ the Nazi party’s goal for worldwide dominion‚ or the struggle in South Africa to shake off the chains of apartheid‚ violent revolutions have led to profound changes where non-violent civil disobedience probably would have failed. While proponents of non-violent revolutions often cite the likes of Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi as examples of freedom fighters who chose brains over brawn‚ it can be argued that whatever success they may have
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Some of the darkest times in history have resulted from passive obedience‚ not from large acts of violence. Howard Zinn‚ a social activist‚ once stated “Historically‚ the most terrible things – war‚ genocide‚ and slavery – have resulted not from disobedience‚ but from obedience.” In many instances‚ leaders or dictators have taken over a specific group of people and caused them to obey their commands by frightening them with authority. Obedience appears as the main cause of war‚ genocide and slavery
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from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it.” He was talking about civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is the refusal to obey certain laws or government demands for the purpose of influencing legislation or government policy‚ characterized by the employment of such nonviolent techniques as boycotting‚ picketing‚ and nonpayment of taxes according to dictionary.com. Two authors write about civil disobedience in their pieces. Martin Luther King Jr.‚ who was a civil rights activist and minister
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Henry David Thoreau once stated in Civil Disobedience “I was not born to be forced. Let us see who is the strongest. What force had multitude? Thoreau‚ the father of Transcendentalism‚ would have never predicted the events that would take place because of Hitler‚ nearly a century later‚ the way Hitler took what he wanted and did not care what people he affected. Both Hitler and Thoreau have one thing in common‚ they are willing to fight for what they believe‚ but how they differ is their methods
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law at all ”(Martin Luther King Jr.). The Civil Rights movement succeeded in achieving equality and ending segregation between white and black people by breaking the unjust laws that treated black citizens like they were less than human. Civil disobedience makes a positive impact on a free society because it reveals unjust laws‚ it is done
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great essayist and critics. Both men extensively studied and embraced nature‚ and both men encouraged and practiced individualism‚ nonconformity and freedom. In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Self Reliance” and Henry David Thoreau’s essay “Civil Disobedience”‚ both composure thinkers speak about being individual and what changes need to be made in society. Ralph Waldo Emerson and his follower‚ Henry David Thoreau‚ both individualists‚ attacked the religious‚ political‚ and cultural values of American
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legal existence of slaves and slave-owners‚ and a century later‚ King spoke out against legal segregation in the South. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail‚” Martin Luther King‚ Jr. shares the same attitude with Henry David Thoreau’s work‚ “Civil Disobedience” concerning just and unjust laws; however‚ they each had different means of executing their beliefs. Both men agree that if a law is unjust‚ it is one’s duty to break that law‚ and do instead what they believe to be right. Thoreau considers
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Cited: Rawls‚ John “A Theory of justice”‚ Oxford: Oxford Press‚ 1972‚ 1975. Thoreau‚ Henry David. Walden and "Civil Disobedience". New York: Signet Classics‚ 1980. Vinit Hasker‚ Civil Disobedience‚ Threats and Offers: Gandhi and Rawls‚ Oxford: / Oxford University Press‚ 1986‚ Wagenknecht‚ Edward. Henry David Thoreau‚ What Manner of Man? Amherst: University of / Massachusetts Press‚ 1981.
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ourselves apart and hold ourselves in the highest esteem that we lose sight. It is then that civil disobedience is vital to the survival of a nation. You see‚ if government could remain continually aware of their purpose‚ there would be no need for civil or uncivilized disobediemce. In the world that we live in today with the huge disparities between cultures‚ education‚ wealth and privilege‚ civil disobedience is essential. Peaceful protests‚ organized marches and rallies puts a face on an issue. It puts
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