Civil Disobedience: The Peaceful Resistance Of Martin Luther King Jr.

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The practice of civil disobedience has long been discussed as to whether it inspires true social change, or only creates conflict within society. The peaceful resistance of Martin Luther King Jr. can be used as a primary example supporting the positive effects of civil disobedience. While the morality of his actions against the previous law of segregation can be debated, the positive influence of ending segregation is undeniable (Bill of Rights Institute). However, King’s methods of achieving this change, such as peaceful protesting and marches, should not be confused with the non-peaceful rejection of laws. While riots and violence encourage hate and separation, civil disobedience displays how society could function peacefully without the laws being opposed (Bill of Rights Institute). It is then demonstrated that the peaceful resistance to laws, or civil disobedience, positively impacts a free society. Civil disobedience’s principals …show more content…

This is demonstrated by the positive influence of the peaceful protesting against the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on the sacred Hawaiian mountain of Mauna Kea. The mountain is believed to be the center of the creation of the Hawaiian islands in the native culture, and while it is already home to an observatory, the under construction Thirty Meter Telescope would by far be the largest construction project yet. While the telescope would be a step forward in science allowing images of the galaxy previously not possible, protestors argue that it is not worth the destruction of their sacred land (Fox). Many have been arrested for camping out on the mountain and blocking construction vehicles, but have accepted the punishments for their actions and continually fought for the change they desire (Witze). While the effectiveness of these protests is yet to be seen, they do serve to demonstrate the positive function of civil disobedience in modern-day

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