Peaceful Protest Essay

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Recommended: the role of civil disobedience in a democracy

Protesters raised their signs proudly and defiantly, showing their support for women and other minorities on January 21st, 2017, the day of the Women's March. Some of these protesters showed their support for Planned Parenthood to continue to receive funding. Some argued against President Trump's plan to build a wall between Mexico and the United States. Others stood for allowing people to love who they want, regardless of either person's gender. In the aftermath of President Trump's executive order banning travel into the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries, cities across America found protesters again take to the streets and to the parks to oppose the action. Were these acts of civil disobedience valid? Did they help the country In 1955, the now-famous Rosa Parks took her seat near the middle of the bus and stayed there, despite later being ordered to move for the benefit of privileged white passengers. Today, it is understood that the discrimination African-Americans faced, including bus segregation, was wrong on countless levels. However, when analyzing Parks' act of civil disobedience in terms of 1955, it is clear that she was willfully breaking the law. Without her peaceful protest, the thousands of people galvanized to action by her choice would never have heard of her. Parks' protest, and the protests of others like her, led in no small part to the eventual establishment of civil rights legislation in America. Peaceful resistance moved America's laws closer to justice in a free society. It could be argued that peaceful protests undermine the authority of the principal governing body. However, this is certainly not the case. Peaceful resistance to laws can be met with legal action, and precisely the fact that the resistance is peaceful indicates that its participants abide by the laws when they are charged for violating them. Peaceful protesters, by nature, accept arrest if it occurs and allow themselves to be prosecuted under the legal system. In no way does this undermine the authority of laws; instead, it simply shows harmless yet impactful opposition to

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