In this current time of turbulence, one could do worse than to look to Henry David Thoreau 's "Civil Disobedience" as a guide for finding a voice for one’s grievances. We are currently experiencing an era of political, cultural, and social upheaval, as witnessed in scenarios ranging from violence in the Middle East to Hillary Clinton’s actions in Benghazi, We are now, more than ever, in need of a solid methodology for personifying individual outcries. If we protest in an aggressive manner, it is considered unacceptable and we will not get an ear to listen to us. Thoreau provided us with food for thought; he gave us his ideas on "Civil Disobedience,"which should guide our actions. Withstanding the test of time, the ideas presented in this
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and Wagner, M., New York Daily News, December 4th, 2014 edition, p.1)
The concepts in "Civil Disobedience" also stretch out to the Middle East. The use of memes in social media may be considered a slightly more aggressive approach to protesting, because it is so widespread and can rapidly reach out to people. Petitions on Facebook and video posts that seek to educate the public are also tactics that individuals and organizations employ in order to publicize their positions. This is an effective means, because we are living in a social media world; these postings tap into the consciousness of international public.
One tactic which exemplifies Thoreau’s principles can be seen in the BDS movement - not buying products from a country that holds policies with whom one disagrees and publicizing one’s grievances while doing so. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the message BDS publicizes, this organization nevertheless has not resorted to violence and has done a credible job of spreading its message. Most importantly, it has succeeded in bringing forth conversation about policies that it feels needs to be …show more content…
He does mention, in "Civil Disobedience", that non-violent actions, such as voting and petitioning, do not always accomplish change: “What is the price-current of an honest man and patriot today? They hesitate, and they regret, and sometimes they petition; but they do nothing in earnest and with effect. They will wait, well disposed, for others to remedy the evil…” (“Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau, p.5). I do not contend that Thoreau would sanction carnage such as that which occurred recently in Paris or the daily Palestinian knife and ramming attacks occurring in Israel; these are overly violent, and have not succeeded in gaining their proponents their objectives nor public favor. Rather, Thoreau seems to suggest a middle ground, such as when he faced jail when refusing to pay his
and Wagner, M., New York Daily News, December 4th, 2014 edition, p.1)
The concepts in "Civil Disobedience" also stretch out to the Middle East. The use of memes in social media may be considered a slightly more aggressive approach to protesting, because it is so widespread and can rapidly reach out to people. Petitions on Facebook and video posts that seek to educate the public are also tactics that individuals and organizations employ in order to publicize their positions. This is an effective means, because we are living in a social media world; these postings tap into the consciousness of international public.
One tactic which exemplifies Thoreau’s principles can be seen in the BDS movement - not buying products from a country that holds policies with whom one disagrees and publicizing one’s grievances while doing so. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the message BDS publicizes, this organization nevertheless has not resorted to violence and has done a credible job of spreading its message. Most importantly, it has succeeded in bringing forth conversation about policies that it feels needs to be …show more content…
He does mention, in "Civil Disobedience", that non-violent actions, such as voting and petitioning, do not always accomplish change: “What is the price-current of an honest man and patriot today? They hesitate, and they regret, and sometimes they petition; but they do nothing in earnest and with effect. They will wait, well disposed, for others to remedy the evil…” (“Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau, p.5). I do not contend that Thoreau would sanction carnage such as that which occurred recently in Paris or the daily Palestinian knife and ramming attacks occurring in Israel; these are overly violent, and have not succeeded in gaining their proponents their objectives nor public favor. Rather, Thoreau seems to suggest a middle ground, such as when he faced jail when refusing to pay his