Civil Disobedience: Henry David Thoreau, Rosa Parks, Jr.
Civil disobedience as a whole acts as a means of positive change in a free society. The First Amendment of the Constitution stands as a protectant to our freedom of speech and expression. In over words, civil disobedience exists as a product of our rights as an American citizen. Without this peaceful resistance to unjust laws, we would be tied down to regulations that serve to endanger and infringe upon the freedom our founding fathers fought for. Though out history, civil heros such as Henry David Thoreau, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr serve to reflect the positive impact and enhanced freedom brought to life by civil disobedience.
As early as 1849, people were beginning to find fault in their government and its means of controlling its citizens. In Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau brings to light the faults in the leading powers of …show more content…
Martin Luther King Jr, a man made famous by his use of civil disobedience throughout the civil rights movement, displays his viewpoints on the method in Letter from a Birmingham Jail. In the fourth paragraph of the letter, he claims that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere", heightening the importance of civil disobedience when it comes to unjust and unfair laws. Later in the letter, he states: "Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored". King's powerful statements accompanied by the severity of the issues of his time reflect the dire need for civil disobedience when it comes to the evolution of a country and its government. His message and actions exist as a perfect example of how actions such as boycotts, sit-ins. and all other forms of peaceful protest can correlate towards positive
As early as 1849, people were beginning to find fault in their government and its means of controlling its citizens. In Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau brings to light the faults in the leading powers of …show more content…
Martin Luther King Jr, a man made famous by his use of civil disobedience throughout the civil rights movement, displays his viewpoints on the method in Letter from a Birmingham Jail. In the fourth paragraph of the letter, he claims that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere", heightening the importance of civil disobedience when it comes to unjust and unfair laws. Later in the letter, he states: "Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored". King's powerful statements accompanied by the severity of the issues of his time reflect the dire need for civil disobedience when it comes to the evolution of a country and its government. His message and actions exist as a perfect example of how actions such as boycotts, sit-ins. and all other forms of peaceful protest can correlate towards positive