Civil disobedience has long played a key role in democracy. America was founded on the belief that all people should have unalienable rights, and they should have a say in the government. Prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, settlers in the colonies portrayed resistant to the British monarchy through events like the Boston Tea Party. Hundreds of years later, people still use civil disobedience to fight for their rights and defend the liberties granted to them through the Constitution. During the Civil Rights Movement, leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. used civil disobedience to peacefully protest segregation and racial inequality. Rosa Parks, for example, took a stand and refused to give up her seat on the bus even though she was violating the law. She took the sacrifice of being arrested to protest the unfair laws and bring publicity to the issue at hand. If it were not for brave activists like herself, the laws may not have ever changed. In the first century of American democracy, slavery was legal and widespread among the population. Over a course of several decades, Americans practiced civil disobedience to free…show more content… Through civil disobedience, many of these people have obtained equality and freedom. To this day, many people like homosexuals and middle easterners are discriminated against. Almost everyday there is a new headline in the news about a certain group of people facing discrimination and hate. Civil disobedience is the answer to these issues. Just as women and African Americans achieved freedom through peaceful protests and refusing to obey unjust laws, homosexuals and middle easterners are doing that today. Only this time around, millions of other Americans are joining in solidarity with them and fighting for their
