Summary Of Civil Disobedience

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In his essay entitled “Civil Disobedience,” Henry David Thoreau urges the American public to “let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine.” The machine he is referring to is the American government, more specifically, the corruption of this institution. Thoreau advocated peaceful resistance to unjust laws and believed each citizen was responsible for the condition of their government. Every citizen should be a sentinel against inequity and act when they are given the opportunity to. Thus, peaceful resistance not only positively impacts a free society, but is an essential facet of democracy.

A contemporary application of these principles is the protesting that occurred following the election of Donald Trump in 2016. Major protest occurred in metropolitan areas across the nation …show more content…
We as citizens keep our government honest and accountable through vigilance and reaction to their actions. If the citizenry of a free society were not permitted to speak out and protest against governmental injustice then corruption would flourish and democracy would crumble. A free society that does not allow criticism is not free but rather totalitarian in nature. Peaceful resistance is one of the most beneficial aspects of a free society because it is the most effective way to bring about change in policy. When injustice and marginalization face the common citizen of a free society it is his or her civic duty to eradicate this tyranny through peaceful resistance, for freedom can only exist through the exercise of rights guaranteed by

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