Einstein once said, “Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.” Civil disobedience has been in human nature ever since civilizations were born and laws were formed, thus, placing people and rulers alike under one government. It is because of these laws that there is a possibility of civil disobedience. People go against the government for many reasons, including a feeling of unrest or unfair laws and taxes. Other reasons are political instability and official corruption, which were coincidentally some factors that led to the fall of the Roman Empire. All of these factors provide adequate evidence as to why it is appropriate to go against the government under certain circumstances. First of all, it is appropriate
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For instance, if a government supports any institution of slavery, it is relevant to then go against the government, either by protests or petitions. Rita Dove highlights this in her piece, “The Torchbearer”, by describing Rosa Parks’ part in the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks stood up to the government by way of peaceful protest, paving the way for Martin Luther King Jr. to lead the civil rights movement and disintegrate segregation in America. An essay written by Henry Thoreau called “Civil Disobedience” influenced Martin Luther King’s practices of nonviolence. In it, Thoreau emphasizes the perverse and abused nature of government through the Mexican-American war and slavery. Thoreau wanted to alter the government because he said the government should just be a “wooden gun,” a tool for the people to use to their benefit. It is also appropriate to go against the government if the government is executing a plan that could end catastrophically. Studs Terkel focuses his attention onto the government’s errors in his piece, “Touching Thirty (Sam Lovejoy),” by drawing attention to the dangers of nuclear power to humans. Terkel showed that government can be reshaped through a change of mindset about a specific subject, such as nuclear power, which altered the schedule of the Montague plant in his town. Thomas Paine once said, “Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable
For instance, if a government supports any institution of slavery, it is relevant to then go against the government, either by protests or petitions. Rita Dove highlights this in her piece, “The Torchbearer”, by describing Rosa Parks’ part in the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks stood up to the government by way of peaceful protest, paving the way for Martin Luther King Jr. to lead the civil rights movement and disintegrate segregation in America. An essay written by Henry Thoreau called “Civil Disobedience” influenced Martin Luther King’s practices of nonviolence. In it, Thoreau emphasizes the perverse and abused nature of government through the Mexican-American war and slavery. Thoreau wanted to alter the government because he said the government should just be a “wooden gun,” a tool for the people to use to their benefit. It is also appropriate to go against the government if the government is executing a plan that could end catastrophically. Studs Terkel focuses his attention onto the government’s errors in his piece, “Touching Thirty (Sam Lovejoy),” by drawing attention to the dangers of nuclear power to humans. Terkel showed that government can be reshaped through a change of mindset about a specific subject, such as nuclear power, which altered the schedule of the Montague plant in his town. Thomas Paine once said, “Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable