Although the two essays were written during two very different times‚ there is a great deal of similarities between Henry David Thoreau’s “Resistance to Civil Government” and Martin Luther King‚ Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” The style‚ technique‚ and reason that each author used were intentional towards their cause. During the middle of the 1840’s‚ abolitionist Henry Thoreau was placed in jail for refusing to pay a poll tax. He wouldn’t agree to a tax that he believed supported slavery and
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Nonviolent Courses of Action When MLK talks about the “end” I believe he is talking about a conclusion to any situation. Whether it is death or the resolution of a conflict‚ the end can either be good or bad. In one of King’s action programs should always be nonviolent‚ in turn leading to a just and pure endings. When we take war for example‚ the end is undeniably going to end with the loss of soldiers and innocent people fighting for their countries‚ but had the countries taken the nonviolent
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Mohandas Gandhi ’s‚ "Satyagraha‚" and Martin Luther King Jr. ’s‚ "Letter from Birmingham Jail‚" each argue for non-violent civil disobedience. However‚ each author uses different rhetorical appeals‚ such as ethos‚ to establish their credibility. In paragraph ten of King ’s statement he asks rhetorical questions the Clergymen might have. "You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit-ins‚ marches and so forth? Isn ’t negotiation a better path"(King 2)? Gandhi also does a great job of breaking down
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ABOUT PASSIVE RESISTANCE There are two types of laws: just and unjust. Everyone has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely‚ everyone has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. It is morally justifiable to peacefully resist unjust laws; unjust laws do not change because a court or government decides; they change because people stand united together to make change happen. The governments of today make laws that self serve their own interests and that of
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Non-violence is more effective than violence because it helps resolve arguments in a peaceful‚ not harmful way without causing any damage. Non-violence means the use of peaceful means‚ not force‚ to bring about political or social change. People will have to wait for a change‚ but it will be a better and greater change. To begin with‚ non-violence is the most effective method for change because it’s safer. Violence is putting people’s lives in danger. Safety is “safer” for everyone. Non-violence
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An Argument for Civil Disobedience Are acts of civil disobedience ever appropriate? According to American history‚ acts of disobedience in the face of tyranny are not only appropriate but expected. The very fabric of this nation was shaped by acts of civil disobedience and rebellion. Human morality is not always defined by governmental regulations and when those regulations are in direct defiance of morality‚ it is the people’s obligation to stand with their beliefs and change the government
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Nathuram Godse’s Answer to Charge Sheet (Excerpts from Para. 26‚ 27) Below is an excerpt of Godse’s answer to the charge sheet filed against him on Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. As I grew up I developed a tendency to free thinking unfettered by any superstitious allegiance to any isms‚ political or religious. That is why I worked actively for the eradication of untouchability and the caste system based on birth alone. I openly joined anti-caste movements and maintained that all Hindus are of
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Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience advocates the need to prioritize one’s conscience over the dictates of laws. It criticizes American social institutions and policies‚ most prominently slavery and the Mexican American War. In Civil Disobedience‚ Thoreau introduces the idea of civil disobedience that was used later by Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King. In fact‚ many consider Thoreau as the greatest exponent of passive resistance of the 19th century. The
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Upon comparing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Dalai Lama it becomes apparent that the two share many similar doctrines and beliefs. Although they come from two totally different backgrounds it seems as though their overall goals and dreams coincide. The most striking similarity is that both men advocated/advocate for peace and nonviolent solutions to problems. While they may have approached matters differently the goal was the same. Analyzing both men one begins to see that they are admired by
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To What Extent is Civil Disobedience Justified in a Democracy? Contents Abstract 3 Introduction 4 What is Civil Disobedience? 5 Democracy 8 Conclusion 11 Bibliography 12 Abstract My interest in the topic of civil disobedience was sparked by a specific news article in which activists climbed Mount Rushmore to hang a poster demanding that the president of the United States‚ Barrack Obama‚ address issues of global warming. The activists
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