Does peaceful resistance to laws positively or negatively impact a free society? In my opinion I think peaceful resistance to laws positively impact a free society, because it can change people’s perspective on unjust laws. It can make a change to society. People will see others making a difference, and they will try to do the same. We should not stay quiet, when our rights are being intimidated. We express ourselves in many different ways, but when it comes to peacefully protesting, it allows us to express our feelings and understandings toward the situation. The first amendment also states that, we all have freedom to peaceful assembly. This means, we have a right to “hold public meetings and form associations without interference by the government.” We all can protest as long as we remain nonviolent. Peaceful protesting has been going on for decades. Mahatma Gandhi was the central leader of the Indian independence Movement. On March 12, 1930, he began a march to the coastal town of Dandi on the Arabian Sea, in protest of the British ownership of salt. He had 78 followers and the march was 241 miles. When they reached Dandi on April 5, he had a large crowd of tens of thousands of people. This was one of his most courageous acts of civil disobedience. …show more content…
He was a leader in The Civil Rights movement and also, in December 1955, he became the leader of the first African American peaceful presentation. He led tremendous protests. One of his protests, “The Freedom March”, took place in Washington D.C, on August 28, 1963. Over 250,000 protestors attended. Martin Luther King Jr, was arrested and in jail during this protest. After years of protesting, marching, speeches, and conferences, on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. He used civil disobedience to accomplish government change; he changed
Martin Luther King admired Muhammad Gundi and Gundi’s idea of peaceful protest. King adopted this idea and organized much historical peaceful protest and civil disobedience in the name of equality. King led the Montgomery bus boycott of 1963 to protest the arrest of Rosa Parks, King also led the “march on Washington” when over 200,000 people gathered to hear King’s most famous speech. Kings most famous speech, I Have a Dream, was given on the steps of the Lincoln memorial on august 28th 1963. In King’s speech king conveys his idea of a perfect society of all races living together peacefully. King had much larger impact on civil rights than Malcolm X mostly because of King’s theories and principals of peaceful protest and Civil disobedience as opposed to X’s view of “whatever it takes.” Unfortunately much like Malcolm X King was also
In America the Amendment 1 of the U.S. Constitution gives the American people the right to peaceably assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Most notably Amendment 1 is known for and most often cited as giving the Freedom of Speech. Even before this amendment was ratified people in the U.S. were protesting, as in the Boston Tea Party. Protesting has been a way to effect change in America. A question to ask is this: is there a right way or wrong way to protest.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the most widely known civil rights activist of the 1960s. Although most famous for his I Have a Dream speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote several more influential speeches for the Civil Rights Movement – an American movement that sought to extend equal rights to all U.S. citizens. During his lifetime, he was known for practicing nonviolence in the hopes to obtain social and economic equality of all African Americans. While equality exists amongst the races today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not get to see the fulfillment of his dream. On April 4, 1968, he was assassinated on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tennessee.
Dr. Martin Luther King Junior was an excellent speaker and activist during the civil rights movement throughout 1954-1968. The civil rights movement was a time of racial injustice and unfair treatment towards people of different races. During that time many African Americans boycotted and protested against the unfair treatment in America at that point in time. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of these people who protested to create a difference in the community. The goal of these marches and protests that he led were to change the feelings of the government and the people’s feelings about racial injustice. However, Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4th, 1968 because he stood up for what was right. He was though able to do many
First and for most, King devoted himself to the idea of “non-violent non-cooperation,” peaceful protest and no violence toward law enforcement or any one. The most influential act that one single civil rights activist preformed was the famous march on Washington for jobs. The march took place on August 28, 1963. It claimed the title of the largest civil rights convention/rally in history. It attracted upwards of 200,000 people, and needed nearly 300,000 police to control the passionate crowed. It was here that King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech upon the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Among other things, the speech promoted peace and love between all races and religions, as well as economic rights for minorities, African Americans in particular. The positivity and the extreme desire for equal treatment is an appeal to logos for most of the population. This initial act serves as the first major advancement of civil rights simply due to the sheer size of participants it attracted, as well as the mass amounts of media attention it received. With these peaceful interactions taking place, Kings ideologies become more and more universally accepted by the general public. It was estimated that nearly 80 percent of the attendees were of African American decent. This is was crucial because this was the first time the Black community had been united since the end of the civil war. This unionization of the Black community continued to snow ball as King took his campaign for peace to the south.
He was put in jail for a long time along with all his supporters that were there. King was hated from both white and black people for endangering kids that were at the demonstration. When he got out of jail King and all of his supporters were planning an even bigger demonstration. He put on the Historic March in Washington. More than 200,000 showed up to the Lincoln memorial to hear his speech. His speech stated "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." He was hoping that one day all men could be brothers no matter the race. By 1968 King decided to hold final march where the tragedy happened. James Earl Ray assassinated King on April 3rd.
Thousands of Americans gathered and marched peacefully on August 28, 1963 to Washington, which was the greatest assemblage for human rights in the history of the United States. They marched for justice, equality and peace. According to the article, “The 1963 March on Washington” Yussuf Simmonds describes, “.An unprecedented gathering of blacks and Whites exposing society’s ills and demanding that the government enforce the laws equally to protect all its citizens regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity or any other superficial differences that had been placed by human beings on other human beings” (1). Dr. King delivered his historic speech “I Have a Dream” which is one of the most influential speeches against racial segregation and discrimination. Civil rights movement had been started before the Montgomery Bus Boycott, however, it picked up after Rosa Parks arrest and became a significant event in the history of America.
Peaceful resistance itself does not affect a free society. A people-group can protest any number of laws: voting rights, taxes, and the legality of murder. A majority of society must determine what is best for itself. If the principles of a resistance aligns with the ideals of the society, the pursuit of betterment positively impacts that
Peaceful resistance to laws positively impact a free society because if there isn't, how will people hear the voices of the oppressed and mistreated? Peaceful resistance comes a long way in trying to advance the rights and customs of the oppressed today. For example, The Salt March of 1930 was based on the Salt Act of 1882, which excluded the people the India from producing or getting salt, only British officials. Mahatma Gandhi was the leader of this protest. According to an article by time.com, it says that "The protest continued until Gandhi was granted bargaining rights at a negotiation in London. India didn’t see freedom until 1947, but the salt satyagraha (his brand of civil disobedience) established Gandhi as a force to be reckoned with and set a powerful precedent for future nonviolent protestors, including Martin Luther King Jr.(Sarah Begley,2015)" This means the salt march was a start for India's independence. Also, Gandhi's brand of civil disobedience set precedents for future nonviolent protests. Another Example of how peaceful protests
The peaceful resistance of laws positively affects society as a whole. Throughout history, many men have shown this remark to be true. From the likes of Henry David Thoreau, to Martin Luther King Jr., to Mahatma Gandhi, the world has learned civil disobedience does work and positively affects everyone as a whole.
Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society. Even in a democracy there are unjust laws, the question comes down to how we handle these laws. Should we be content to obey these laws, or should we try to change them? Most people in a democracy would agree with the second course as the best. There is a right to "revolution" against injustice and one must refuse to support something that is wrong. People should try to change these laws one way to do that is through peaceful resistance.
Martin Luther King Jr. who led a civil rights movement in the United States in order to bring rights to minorities. Dr. King was a minister, inspired by Jesus, who believed in non-violent ways to bring around change. King used techniques such as speeches, marches, boycotts, and sit-ins in order to make his intentions clear to those who he was going against. Dr. King also taught non-resistance to his followers which means that they were told not to fight back even when attacked. His techniques were meant to show that the people who were fighting for rights deserved these rights. He wanted to show that no matter the color of your skin or your ethnicity we are all equal and capable of carrying out peaceful and civil protest. However, King’s nonviolent efforts were shadowed by violence from his own people such as Malcolm X and the Black Panthers who believed the only way to gain justice was to fight for it. Equality was gained by these groups though one cannot say which group most influenced the government but it is known that both groups made impressions that have lasted and changed history. King was assinated in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee for his
Throughout history, during the late 18th century, early and mid 19th century, and even today, many people peacefully resisted laws they felt attacked their rights as a U.S. citizen and as a human. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and even the entire city of Baltimore, have all used peaceful protest to rally against an unjust or unfair law or situation they felt was surpressing them from the rights they have been given. In there efforts of their protests, they have positively effected our country today by deminishing segregation, kick-starting a fight against racism for generations and counting, and a drive to find equality between all types of people.
The assassination of Martin Luther King was a vital part of, not only Black history, but American history. In short, King was a civil rights activist. He was the leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957. As president of the SCLC, King’s main focus was to fight against segregation. He, then, began to form nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama, that attracted negative attention from the police force that, unfortunately lead to brutal attacks on participants. In 1963 during the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in front of millions and on television. These things make his death a notable and significant historical event. Dr. King dedicated his life and paid the ultimate price in the name of equality, justice, peace, and co-habitation for humankind.
In an effort to help free India from the British rule, Mahatma Gandhi once again contributed to a protest against salt taxes, known as the Salt March. This protest advocated Gandhi’s theory of satyagraha or nonviolent disobedience as the nation came together on March 12, 1930 to walk the 241 mile long journey to the shores of Dandi to attain salt. Although some Indians criticized Gandhi for not achieving direct independence from the Raj or British rule, Gandhi’s execution of the Salt March helped to create a stronger nation for the Indians to live in. Gandhi motivated the Indians to act robustly against the injustices of the salt taxes through nonviolent means. This caused Gandhi to create a temporary compromising pact between Gandhi and the British viceroy over the turmoil created by the salt taxes.