Preview

Civil Disobedience: The Negative Effects Of Peaceful Resistance

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
573 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Civil Disobedience: The Negative Effects Of Peaceful Resistance
The Negative Effects of Peaceful Resistance
Civil disobedience is the way in which peaceful resistance comes to play. Gandhi in Gandhi and Civil Disobedience states that “In my humble opinion, noncooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good”, this is significant because when people riot, burn buildings or make threats, that is not anymore effective as when people hold up signs and chant. Peaceful resistance to laws negatively impact a free society by resorting to violence, there are people who get overly excited about their cause and forget why they began to protest. Peaceful resistance gets out of hand when people lose the real reason why they started. After they lose their way they just try to get noticed by rioting. Major riots get on the news and get noticed. Little picketers that just chant do not get on the news and are barely ever noticed.
Peaceful resistance against laws is not always effective because it does not get the type of publicity as non peaceful resistance gets. For instance at the women's march Madonna stated “Yes, I’m angry. Yes, I’m outraged. Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House. But I know that this won’t change anything.” She only said this statement …show more content…
Gandhi tried the approach to non violent protests and his people ended up disappointing him by advocating violent acts. Gandhi in Gandhi and Civil Disobedience said that “Distrust spilled over into violence. He spoke out for peace and forgiveness.” This is significant because unlike Gandhi some of his followers were done with non violent protesting. His people wanted to show the world something more than they already were. The only way to get noticed is by making violent acts toward the thing that started the protesting in the first pace. This negatively impacts the free society by starting riots and giving people unnecessary faults against
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Peaceful Resistance To Laws: The Boston Tea Party Of 1773
    • 233 Words
    • 1 Page

    Peaceful Resistance To Laws: The Boston Tea Party Of 1773

    Peaceful resistance to laws does positively impact a free society. The Boston Tea Party of 1773 and the arrest of Rosa Parks on December 1st, 1955 are both great examples of that. The british continuation of placing taxes on tea was the reason the Boston Tea Party first began. Angry colonists chose to dress themselves as Mohawk Indians (to not get recognized as they got on british tea ships) to dump thousands of pounds of tea down the Boston Harbor. Even though they were unfortunately punished after this by the british, it resulted in being one of the main reasons why America wanted independence from Britain and in the end were gladly able to achieve that! This brings me to the next point, Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks was arrested for not approving…

    • 233 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Ceesar Chavez And The Common Sense Of Nonviolence, By Jose-Antonio Oroco
    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Ceesar Chavez And The Common Sense Of Nonviolence, By Jose-Antonio Oroco

    This is important because it helps with how the public views the actions of a union. Probably the most prevalent example of this peaceful method of activism, in California, is Cesar Chavez. In the book “Cesar Chavez and the Common Sense of Nonviolence,” by José-Antonio Orosco, Chavez’s technique is explained in detail. His method is that “instead of money, Chavez relies on nonviolent actives that will drain sympathizers to give their time, effort, and commitment. The goal is to engage in actions that would build bonds of reciprocity between the union and the public in a way that will create supporters out of the latter, who can then work in solidarity with the former” (Orosco 105). Chavez understood the value of public approval and used it to his advantage, when possible. Of course, even though they were nonviolent, many people still opposed the laborers unions, but through this method they were able to create some support that otherwise would exist. Public support is of critical importance for activism, not only for support, but also politic wise. When the public is made aware of an issue, there can be great results thought voting or phone calls or letters to local officials. All of this is made possible and more impactful through…

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Civil Rights Movements: Claudette Colvin And Rosa Park
    • 663 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Civil Rights Movements: Claudette Colvin And Rosa Park

    It depends on certain situations whether peaceful resistance to laws can have a positive impact or have a negative impact on a free society. Majority of peaceful assemblies can give the group of activist their freedom of speech and views towards something they believe in. Famous public figures like Claudette Colvin and Rosa Park's civil disobedience had a powerful effect on the world. Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to move her seat for a white men while sitting on a segregated white bus in Montgomery, Alabama on December 1st, 1955. Similarly, Claudette Colvin found herself in the same predicament and she was declared the first woman to have that sort of refusal or peaceful resistance towards bus regulations back then. Even though they both knew their views were going to get them into serious consequences with the Jim Crow Laws, they spoke their views and truths about the world during that time. In Rosa Park's situation, fortunately her civil disobedience was a "peaceful resistance towards the law." Nothing seriously got out of control, too violent, or too extreme and to foreshadow when it did; the people of the African American community just stood back up and refused to let the world shut…

    • 663 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Civil Disobedience, a Stand on Moral Ground
    • 919 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Civil Disobedience, a Stand on Moral Ground

    This country has a rich history of civil disobedience. In fact, the men who founded our country used civil disobedience to protest against unjust laws that they felt threatened their future and the future of generations to come. Tim DeChristopher used civil disobedience to stop the auction of oil and gas leases being held by the BLM. Mohandas Gandhi used nonviolent resistance against the British who occupied India. While Henry David Thoreau not only used these methods of nonviolent protest, he actually helped to define criteria of what is to be considered civil disobedience.…

    • 919 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Malcolm X Persuasion Analysis
    • 1978 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Malcolm X Persuasion Analysis

    The definition of a protest is a statement or an action that expresses disapproval or objection of something. Of the three that we went over in class; Socrates, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X, the one whose position is the most effective in protesting and showing that he does not approve of the current way of living, is Malcolm X. Malcolm X has a no nonsense attitude about what to do with an unjust law or situation. He uses the “any means necessary” approach to the situation where he believes that you not only can, but also must do anything and everything you can possibly do to get what you need as opposed to the other means of protesting from Socrates, persuasion, and Dr. King, non-violent direct action. The views from each of these…

    • 1978 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Jim Crow Laws Affect Society
    • 529 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Does Jim Crow Laws Affect Society

    Peaceful resistance to law positively impacts society. Humans have a lengthy, detailed history of not always being able to see what is right or moral in certain circumstances, and unfortunately, humans are who create laws. One infamous example of unjust laws would be the Jim Crow laws of the south. Today, it is clear as day that discrimination and racism is unconstitutional, but why was it so hard to see that during that time period.…

    • 529 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    John Locke's Second Treatise Of Civil Disobedience
    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages

    John Locke's Second Treatise Of Civil Disobedience

    Mahatma Gandhi employed a campaign of peaceful resistance in the first half of the twentieth so that India could be independent from Great Britain and possess institutions that protected the rights of Indians. Some years later, American civil rights organizations continued this approach, organizing sit-ins and marches to force governments to change policies that discriminated against African Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote that civil disobedience,“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 uses the power of the people to force institutional action. Civil disobedience tactics can be just as effective today, just look at Cedric Herrou a French farmer who illegally transported African migrants into France for humanitarian reasons.…

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Thoreau's Role In Civil Disobedience
    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Thoreau's Role In Civil Disobedience

    It becomes a kind of despotism where we seek to silence rather than engage.” Civil disobedience is a necessary part of free society, as it provides an avenue from which all people can make themselves heard, regardless of political power or economic status. Furthermore, it is necessary to keep the spirit of the first amendment alive, as peaceful protest is a way in which people exercise their right to free speech; without peaceful resistance to laws, little progress would be made in a free society, and the views of the majority would be imposed on the rest of the population. Acting as a catalyst for change, peaceful resistance one ingredient of the recipe that drives a free nation towards growth and…

    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Peaceful Resistance Research Paper
    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Peaceful Resistance Research Paper

    Peaceful resistance is impossible, especially in this modern society. Peaceful organization turns to riot even when good intentions are present. Inaction and guiltmongering do nothing to help society. It is sad to see people who believe they are doing all the good in the world turn to these methods and use violence though convinced it is really peaceful. "Peaceful" protest accomplishes nothing. American government is predicated on this. The only things that change are violence and political action. Asking nicely saved nobody, and the American Revolution is proof of this. The colonists asked for a long time for fair representation in Parliament but no change came and, in fact, increases in taxes and injustices happened. It was not until the injustices came to a head in gunfire that there was a change, which was an overthrow of the British Empire and the Americans took control of their own lives and governed themselves. Peaceful resistance did nothing.…

    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Peaceful Resistance Research Paper
    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Peaceful Resistance Research Paper

    Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society because it informs and educates the government on how Americans react to certain laws. This can be observed in many of the current events that are going on in America today and have gone on the past the past.…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Civil Rights Movement: An Argument For Riotous Protests
    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Civil Rights Movement: An Argument For Riotous Protests

    Martin Luther King, Jr. Colin Kaepernick. Malcolm X. Rosa Parks. Huey P. Newton. These individuals are famous for their work in protesting, but the methods of conveying a message differs greatly between these influential figures. The spectrum ranges from taking a knee during the national anthem to armed protests. Although many people think that violent protesting is an effective means to spark change, the truth is that peaceful dissent prevails as the superior catalyst to combat injustice.…

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Martin Luther King Disobedience
    • 553 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay On Martin Luther King Disobedience

    Additionally, many people fail to recognize that their struggles were made worth it by peaceful misbehavior and breaking of the law. Similarly like Martin L. King Jr. and Rosa Parks, there are innumerable people who have done the same for diverse rights of the people. Disobedience has been part of our history, but no one realizes that both individuals bent laws for those they loved. Everybody has to defy the rules at some point in their life and us ourselves do not know if our acts of protest will be part of a legacy just like theirs. “Disobedience”, should not have a pessimistic connotation, but instead be appreciated as a virtuous strength and progress to change a city, a state, a country, a continent, and even the…

    • 553 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Examples Of Peaceful Resistance
    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examples Of Peaceful Resistance

    Peaceful resistance to laws certainly has a positive impact on a free society. There are many examples of when peaceful resistance has positively impacted a free society from the past and even some events that have happened recently. One of the most famous instances is obviously Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for Civil Rights. He lead by example and lead by his beliefs. In the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" he questions many southerners on how they could be Christian but turn a blind eye to how African Americans were being treated. Once he was out of jail he often preached this message as well. This changed the mind of many white southerners and helped Martin Luther King Jr. get more support.…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Peaceful Protest
    • 681 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Peaceful Protest

    Peaceful Protest and civil disobedience have been a hallmark of change from the early 20th century onwards. Though nonviolent efforts, multiple civil movements have peacefully broken a law in order to protest an injustice of said law. Usually done in a coordinated manner by a large group of people, these protest have been strikingly effective in bettering the systems they have set out to change. Peaceful resistance is therefore one of the most effective ways of protesting and correcting unjust and broken laws, and is a staple of free society.…

    • 681 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Make America Great Again Essay
    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Make America Great Again Essay

    Some of these protesters went too far and harmed rather than protesting peacefully. Does peaceful resistance to laws positively or negatively impact a free society? The truth is that if the protests are peaceful leaving others unharmed then yes it is absolutely leaving a positive impact. Although some protests, such as the one after the election, have only left more negativity and harm than intended to have, resistance to laws can either be positive or negative depending on how the situation…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics