Persuasive Essay On Civil Disobedience - 992 Words

Martin Luther King Jr., the most important Civil Rights leader, once said â€Å"One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.† Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential individuals in United States history, and is still recognized today for his peaceful approach on change. He believed that it was the peoples’ job to point out the flaws of society, and hold the government accountable for them. Many say that it is not the peoples’ responsibility to take this kind of action; however, no one has the leverage that the people do. The heart is to the body as the citizens are to the country. Without the active engagement of the people in the system, the country would fall flat of its responsibilities. With the absence of civil†¦show more content†¦It is through protest that the government is able to recognize what the people believe. Without this there would be no changes, no reconsideration, and no progress. Similar to protests, rebellion s evoke change in the system through peace. If words are not enough, often times citizens take matters into their own hands. The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington are both famous examples. Without violence, the famous bus boycott drew the attention of the Supreme Court. In 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that the laws segregating African Americans on Montgomery buses were unconstitutional; consequently, this was a large victory for the African Americans, and propelled their case for equal rights. In 1963, the world was no so peaceful for African Americans. Violent attacks on peaceful demonstrators were consuming the deep south, and this called for a mass protest march into Washington D.C. This peaceful demonstration drew the attention of John F. Kennedy, and provoked him to pass a federal civil rights bill later that year. The success of peaceful rebellions is explicitly shown through these two examples, which both brought on major changes. Civil disobedience is like a construction site. It is long and occasionally messy, but the outcome that results is without a doubt worth the initial troubles. The refusal to comply with unjust laws is what drives the UnitedShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Civil Disobedience819 Words   |  4 PagesHave you ever heard of civil disobedience? It is a way of peaceful protest that has been used successfully in the past and in the present. Walkouts, boycotts, and marches are all forms of civil disobedience that have been used and are currently being used. During past four years, there have been womens rights marches, pro-choice marches, and kneeling during the national anthem. These are people that are actively trying to create a fair society themselves and for the people around them. As the realRead More Evaluation of Dworkins and Habermass Approach to Civil Disobedience1624 Words   |  7 PagesEvaluation of Dworkins and Habermass Approach to Civil Disobedience The following essay will attempt to evaluate the approach taken by Dworkin and Habermas on their views of civil disobedience. The two main pieces of literature referred to will be Dworkin?s paper on Civil Disobedience and Nuclear Protest? and Habermass paper on Civil Disobedience: Litmus Test for the Democratic Constitutional State. An outline of both Dworkins and Habermass approach will be given , further discussionRead More Comparing Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail1043 Words   |  5 PagesComparing Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail The two essays, Civil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau, and Letter From a Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King, Jr., effectively illustrate the authors opinions of justice. Each author has his main point; Thoreau, in dealing with justice as it relates to government, asks for not at once no government, but at once a better government. King contends that injustice anywhere is a threatRead More Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail820 Words   |  4 PagesHenry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, in â€Å"Civil Disobedience† and â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† respectively, both conjure a definitive argument on the rights of insubordination during specified epochs of societal injustice. Thoreau, in his enduring contemplation of life and its purpose, insightfully analyzes the conflicting relationship between the government and the people it governs. He consideratelyRead MoreComparative Essay on Henry David Thoreau in Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther King in Letter from Birmingham Jail820 Words   |  4 PagesHenry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, in Civil Disobedience and Letter from Birmingham Jail, respectively, both conjure a definitive argument on the rights of insubordination during specified epochs of societal injustice. Thoreau, in his enduring contemplation of life and its purpose, insightfully analyzes the conflicting relationship between the government and the people it governs. He considerately evokes the notion that the majority of people are restrained by the government and societyRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. And Henry David Thoreau1311 Words   |  6 Pageseverything the general will†, however, it was not always the case, according to influential American authors and civil rights activists Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau. Although both of their works were written over a century apart, one cannot deny the fact that both of them successfully and nonviolently converted their ideology into action using different methods of civil disobedience. Their goal was to fight for a better just system of law and restore faith in humanity. Despite their differentRead MoreCompare And Contrast Martin Luther King And Thoreau Civil Disobedience1497 Words   |  6 PagesThoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience† collectively persuade their audiences to disobey authority when it concerns social injustice. King takes a more assertive yet respectful approa ch, and makes it a point to explicate the intolerable treatment that the black community had to endure under the encroachment of segregation laws. In addition, Thoreau expounds why it is so important for citizens to object and take action upon the corrupt laws that the government had imposed on the blacks, insisting that civil disobedienceRead MoreThoreau And King s Ideas On Civil Disobedience1267 Words   |  6 PagesComparing and Contrasting: Thoreau and King’s Ideas on Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817, a time where slavery was legal. In 1849 Thoreau published an essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience† which explains his idea that the government is much more harmful than helpful and that man has the right to disobey the government when he feels it is being unjust, in his case it was slavery, American Imperialism, and the Mexican-American War. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929, 64 years afterRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Thoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience†1570 Words   |  7 PagesThoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience† Directions: Read â€Å"Civil Disobedience.† As you read, underline examples of Thoreau using rhetorical devices and identify and explain the devices via annotation. Answer questions 1-4 to prepare for further work with a small group. The group will work together on questions 5 through 8. Be ready to explain your answers to the whole class. Even when you’re working as a group you should be writing the answers. 1. Based on your reading of â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† whatRead MoreHenry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr.s Justification of Defying Unjust Laws1820 Words   |  8 Pages In his famous essay, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,’’ Martin Luther King, Jr. cites conscience as a guide to obeying just laws and defying unjust laws. In the same way, Henry David Thoreau wrote in his famous essay, â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† that people should do what their conscience tells them and not obey unjust laws. The positions of the two writers are very close; they use a common theme of conscience, and they use a similar rhetorical appeal of ethos. In â€Å"Civil Disobedience† Thoreau claims