Oppressive rule by a foreign power. Voting booths only visited by white men who choose their fellow white man for political office. Horrific, unsafe working conditions and long hours. Prolongation of agonizing wars. Segregated schools, malls, and neighborhoods. What do these have in common? The movements to end these situations were catalyzed by civil disobedience. Historically, peaceful resistance increased awareness, exposed inequality, and challenged the status quo. Whether the ultimate result was holding officials more accountable, upending existing policies, or ensuring civil liberties, the benefits of peaceful resistance undoubtedly outweigh the consequences.
According to Adlai Stevenson, an important fighter for progressive …show more content…
In the first category, critics contend that civil disobedience indicates one’s lack of respect for the law and a prioritization of selfishness. However, they fail to realize that the goal of disobedience is to improve the law and reap societal benefits as a byproduct of the change. Today, we see this in alliances between LGBTQ, women’s rights, and Muslim-American communities; while they may have different goals, they unite under the overarching umbrella of social progress. In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. noted this same “ripple effect” when he wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” In the counterproductive category, critics argue that civil disobedience is not the best alternative, creates more enemies, and is inherently anti-democratic (Leibman, 2014). Not only do critics fail to cite multiple instances of democratic regression as a result of peaceful resistance, but they also do not realize that increased respect for human rights and equality stemming from these movements clearly solve back for any downfalls. That is why M.L.K. Jr. concluded, “An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its …show more content…
Despite the challenges created by the rise of globalization and an interconnected 21st century society, the positive impact of peaceful resistance remains. A prime example of this dilemma would be Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower. Upon leaking information about the NSA’s internal proceedings, Americans discovered the immense scope of the government’s spying and data collection of its own citizens (John Cassidy, 2013). Almost immediately, a variety of critics dubbed Snowden a criminal (Jeffrey Toobin, 2013). However, Snowden’s act of disobedience was a minor violation in comparison with the results: his whistle-blowing “sparked a global debate, changing laws and helping to protect our privacy,” (Amnesty
According to Adlai Stevenson, an important fighter for progressive …show more content…
In the first category, critics contend that civil disobedience indicates one’s lack of respect for the law and a prioritization of selfishness. However, they fail to realize that the goal of disobedience is to improve the law and reap societal benefits as a byproduct of the change. Today, we see this in alliances between LGBTQ, women’s rights, and Muslim-American communities; while they may have different goals, they unite under the overarching umbrella of social progress. In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. noted this same “ripple effect” when he wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” In the counterproductive category, critics argue that civil disobedience is not the best alternative, creates more enemies, and is inherently anti-democratic (Leibman, 2014). Not only do critics fail to cite multiple instances of democratic regression as a result of peaceful resistance, but they also do not realize that increased respect for human rights and equality stemming from these movements clearly solve back for any downfalls. That is why M.L.K. Jr. concluded, “An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its …show more content…
Despite the challenges created by the rise of globalization and an interconnected 21st century society, the positive impact of peaceful resistance remains. A prime example of this dilemma would be Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower. Upon leaking information about the NSA’s internal proceedings, Americans discovered the immense scope of the government’s spying and data collection of its own citizens (John Cassidy, 2013). Almost immediately, a variety of critics dubbed Snowden a criminal (Jeffrey Toobin, 2013). However, Snowden’s act of disobedience was a minor violation in comparison with the results: his whistle-blowing “sparked a global debate, changing laws and helping to protect our privacy,” (Amnesty