Why Is Civil Disobedience Important

Oscar Wilde once wisely stated that "it is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion" and I couldn't agree more. It isn't a secret that many of our country's most hideous laws and ideals have been shut down by the act of, usually peaceful, civil disobedience. These acts of civil disobedience have been carried out by the most respected and renowned leaders in our country that we still look up to today. A few of the most infamous examples include Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. who both fought the mistreatment and segregation of African Americans by being bold enough to stand up against the unjust laws being mandated over our country. When we think of civil disobedience our minds automatically go back to the civil rights era, ignoring the …show more content…
This occurs because too many people are scared of change and can't see the bigger picture. I'm sure if we were placed back in the times of slavery many of us who detest the thought of it now would've been much more conflicted on the subject back then because it's what we know and were raised to believe. This is why civil disobedience is so controversial but also why it is so important. It forces us to take off our goggles and see the real issues going on around us. Those who oppose civil disobedience, oppose freedom and progress. Standing up for something that truly matters is so important and I personally would not want to live in a world where our ancestors didn't have the guts to do all that they did. It would be foolish to think that civil disobedience hasn't played a vital role in the shaping of our country, and there is still much more to do today. Civil disobedience may seem like a bother or hassle to us now, but without it we would be living in a much different country with much less opportunity, equality, and freedom than we do