Henry David Thoreau's On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience

Civil disobedience continues to be a powerful way to bring attention to many uncomfortable topics, rules, orders, or laws, enforced by a government, which may be considered old-fashioned for the current time, cruel, racist, or just wrong. It is defined as civil because the act of one or more citizen’s refusal to obey the demands set by the government is meant to be done peacefully. Some peaceful gestures of protest can be seen by many, in the hopes of encouraging and empowering others to join a movement for change. In 1849, Henry David Thoreau spoke openly and loudly in his essay called On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, where he made it evident that he was not in favor of strong governmental rule. Law and order is good and necessary, but only when the laws are equal and helpful to all and do not threaten the freedoms of any individual or individuals. The Fists in the Air movement …show more content…
To change its policies in terms of equal rights, and the rights of all people in a country which the Constitution has promised to protect,” (Haddow). For there to be a change in society, the people need to unite because not all of the state governments are making a change. In this case, segregation was still allowed in certain states, therefore, Smith and Carlos came together to spread awareness for what they believed was unfair. Their goal was to advocate for equal rights which is assured to them and the rest of the black community in the Constitution. The Fists in the Air protest, along with so many other worthy outcries peacefully pleading for change in America, were the cornerstone of the freedoms and equality we see today, across all cultures. Fists in the Air by two athletes represents the very essence of what Henry David Thoreau’s piece on civil disobedience