Civil Disobedience

There are cases to be made for many different methods of standing up to our oppressors. Some say that violence is never the answer; some argue that sometimes, people just don’t listen without it. Many believe that the law should be broken when it is deemed unjust by a group of people, while many others say that doing so is ineffective in communicating a point. There are many factors contributing to a person’s view on this topic, however, most of it comes from the experiences of the individual thus far. Someone who has experienced little to no oppression in their lifetime may find it easy to condemn violence; their voice has been validated by society since they first could talk. Furthermore, those with significant privilege may also proclaim …show more content…
Leading up to the Revolutionary War, Americans began to resist the taxes imposed by the British. This effort culminated with the Boston Tea Party, in which Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty snuck onto a ship and dumped more than 45 tons of tea into the water. Prior to this act of disobedience, Adams had attempted to convince the governor to follow other colonies, refusing to accept the tea shipments in the first place. Despite his arguments, the governor and the consignees refused Adams, who proceeded to do what he felt was necessary. The disposing of the tea led to the Coercive Acts of 1774, meant to punish resistance from the colonies, yet this legislation was ignored as well. The war came shortly after, violence providing the Americans with their victory, and the chance at the great experiment in democracy that is upheld to this day (history.com). Since the results of these actions were positive in the long run, those studying the Boston Tea Party do not condemn them, or even those involved in breaking the law. Samuel Adams is revered for it. If we seek to create a society that values equality and provides opportunity for all, why should the methods of those working to create such a community be ridiculed? Additionally, it is crucial to again examine the role of the privileged citizens of our country, asking why it has been made so difficult for the …show more content…
Those who break the law and accept the consequences are making a personal sacrifice for this cause, and those who dismiss this form of protest are only working against it. As Martin Luther King Jr. articulates from his jail cell - a result of his civil disobedience - a common theme of oppression is being told to wait one’s turn for justice. By standing up to laws that are oppressive to certain groups, one is refusing to be passive, and refusing to wait. One is able to send a message that just because the government has deemed something fair and just, does not necessarily make it so. Peaceful resistance does not just have positive impacts on society through its influence on policy, whether it be the formation of our Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, or the end of the Vietnam War - it makes our country more free by saying that we the citizens have the ability to create this change. To dismiss the potential that civil disobedience has is to disregard all the progress it has brought us as a

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