Why Is Civil Disobedience Effective

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In the Constitution it clearly states that the people are in charge of the United States of America. So why do the people have to protest to get the government to change things? Although people may say civil disobedience is not the correct manner of getting things changed, it is still very effective. Civil Disobedience has helped improve the world by giving people equal rights; therefore, it is a very effective agent of change. The Boston Tea Party lead to rebellion against Great Britain, which eventually lead to the creation of the United States of America. Back when the first colonies were still a part of Britain, the colonists were treated unfairly. Britain had a lot of tea and they needed money, so they decided to over-tax the colonists on their tea. The colonists tried to tell Britain that it was not fair for them to do that, but they refused to listen. The colonists then decided to throw the Boston Tea Party, …show more content…
You may think that if other people are breaking the law then why can’t you? Civil disobedience is more than just breaking the law so that you can get what you want. Civil disobedience is only used because the government is not doing its job of letting the people rule. If the government would listen in the first place then there wouldn’t be boycotts or protests. You have to be willing to take the consequences if you choose to break the law. Martin Luther King and Gandhi didn’t get away with all the boycotts and marches without going to jail a couple of times. They went willingly to jail because they had to accept their consequences. Dr. King said, “One who breaks a law must do so with a willingness to accept the penalty.” This means that if you commit a crime knowingly, you must be willing to accept the price for your actions. Civil disobedience is not a first option. People only do it when the government is not doing its job, and does not change what needs to be