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Civil Disobedience And The Civil Rights Movement

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The marches of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. achieved great publicity in the 20th century not for violence, but for their peaceful disobedience against unjust laws. When all other avenues of change were closed, civil disobedience opened the door for much needed social reform. Thus, civil disobedience, or peaceful resistance, to laws positively impact a free society because it makes the society stronger and paves the way for necessary reform that benefits the greater good. Civil disobedience is defined as the act of opposing a law one considers unjust and peacefully disobeying it while accepting the consequences (Bill of Rights Institute). By peacefully protesting against unjust laws, a person does not harm others, but at the same time …show more content…
Both acts of civil disobedience pushed for reform, and it was received in both cases: the civil rights movement received equality for all races and the protests against the Vietnam War pulled back U.S. troops from Vietnam, saving lives that could have been lost (Protests in the 1960s). The use of peaceful disobedience was the only option in both cases that could bring about change, and they positively impacted the free society by saving lives and creating a more equal society. Civil disobedience has been a repeated occurrence in American history, in events like the Boston Tea Party, the Women's Suffrage Movement, the abolition of slavery, and movements against environmental issues (The Role of Civil Disobedience in Democracy). All of these movements have only helped to positively impact America's free …show more content…
Most democracies are flawed, and this can lead to unjust laws being put into place, but is no other avenues of reform are available, for example legally or politically, then civil disobedience is required to change the flawed laws. Contrary from a popular myth that civil disobedience will breed violence and the destruction of an existing free society, civil disobedience actually encourages peaceful protests against the law and contributes to the effort of improving society in a positive way, as seen at many times throughout history. Thus, civil disobedience positively impacts a free society by opening the way for changing unjust laws and improving society as a whole. When no other option is feasible to correct flaws in society, civil disobedience is the only path that will bring reform and benefit society, creating a free society that is equal and benefits the greater

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