Robert O’Connor
Concord High School
New Hampshire
Like many things in life, civil disobedience, is all a matter of perspective. Whether it be the Great Muhammad Ali peacefully opposing his selection for the draft or Rosa Parks literally sitting down instead of standing up for what is right on a bus ride home, each and every case of civil disobedience has its ups and downs. Though, when talking about basic human rights, there is no room to be neutral, and that is why peaceful resistance to laws most certainly impacts a society positively. From an optimistic perspective, everything will be alright in the end. Despite Ali’s and Park’s knowledge of the potential consequences, they took a stand against what they believe is right. An optimist …show more content…
A pessimist would say although Ali and Parks made a valiant stand for their belief in what was right, had they not done so, there would have been much less controversy and turmoil. Which in the short run is most likely correct. A pessimist might also say that had these two American figures, Ali and Parks, just followed the laws at the time, they would still be an inspiration to someone in some way without all of the backlash. The final perspective is that of a realist. A realist would most likely look at where society is today after these ‘disobedient’ events. After several demonstrations of civil disobedience from not just Ali and Parks, but from many other civil rights activists, the world is a safer place for a larger quantity of people. Therefore, if the world is a safer place for more people then this can only mean that peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a society. In a world full of different perspectives, each view has one vantage point that another one doesn’t, but in this questioning of peaceful disobedience, the meshed perspective of both the optimist and the realist provide the best angle to enforcing the claim that peaceful civil resistance to laws positively impacts a free society. To quote both Muhammad Ali and Rosa Parks in doing what they believe is right despite the overarching laws, sometimes it is necessary to stand up and say
Concord High School
New Hampshire
Like many things in life, civil disobedience, is all a matter of perspective. Whether it be the Great Muhammad Ali peacefully opposing his selection for the draft or Rosa Parks literally sitting down instead of standing up for what is right on a bus ride home, each and every case of civil disobedience has its ups and downs. Though, when talking about basic human rights, there is no room to be neutral, and that is why peaceful resistance to laws most certainly impacts a society positively. From an optimistic perspective, everything will be alright in the end. Despite Ali’s and Park’s knowledge of the potential consequences, they took a stand against what they believe is right. An optimist …show more content…
A pessimist would say although Ali and Parks made a valiant stand for their belief in what was right, had they not done so, there would have been much less controversy and turmoil. Which in the short run is most likely correct. A pessimist might also say that had these two American figures, Ali and Parks, just followed the laws at the time, they would still be an inspiration to someone in some way without all of the backlash. The final perspective is that of a realist. A realist would most likely look at where society is today after these ‘disobedient’ events. After several demonstrations of civil disobedience from not just Ali and Parks, but from many other civil rights activists, the world is a safer place for a larger quantity of people. Therefore, if the world is a safer place for more people then this can only mean that peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a society. In a world full of different perspectives, each view has one vantage point that another one doesn’t, but in this questioning of peaceful disobedience, the meshed perspective of both the optimist and the realist provide the best angle to enforcing the claim that peaceful civil resistance to laws positively impacts a free society. To quote both Muhammad Ali and Rosa Parks in doing what they believe is right despite the overarching laws, sometimes it is necessary to stand up and say