Martin Luther King Jr. said once, “One have a moral duty to disobey unfair laws.” He was not justifying breaking laws for their sake, but rather he meant that it was done in the hope that others will see the law as unethical. Civil disobedience played an important part in shaping the society we have today. This speech will discuss civil disobedience.
First, civil obedience is when you defy a law and its ethics. It is a way to influence people to accept a rebel viewpoint. Civil disobedience is non-violent, but it can take on active forms like peaceful occupations of property or illegal street protests. This causes endless protests, many rebellions and uprisings as well as revolutions. These are the consequences of unjust government. Civil disobedience has played an important role in many of the social reforms that have been implemented in America in recent history. The Boston Tea Party, a peaceful protest against British tax rules in 1773, was most notable. It involved both the colonists of Massachusetts and British cargo ships. The colonists found tea from England in the cargo. They decided they wouldn’t pay the outrageous taxes and threw the cargo into Boston Harbor. The British government then imposed severe penalties on American citizens. They protested and led to the War for Independent. The United States of America was then made an independent country.
In London, in 1990 civil disobedience occurred after riots were started against the payment by all citizens of all incomes of taxes. The act gave the opportunity for protestors to speak out against unfair laws. The congress tax was enacted to tax the value of houses. Citizens in India and other countries protested against their oppression. Mahatma Ghandi, a Mahatma Gandhi of India, took civil disobedience as a way to defend their principles and live their lives. Even though he was often taken into prison, his fighting spirit never wavered. Gandhi’s civil disobedience helped India become a democratic nation.
To sum it all, civil disobedience should not be used to infringe on the law. Instead, it is meant to challenge existing conditions to encourage social change. Martin Luther King Jr. is another example of someone who was committed to social change within their communities. These two individuals helped others live better lives by fighting against oppression. They also recognized the essential nature of civil disobedience. Our government must reevaluate itself to be more effective in civil disobedience.
