Peaceful Resistance In Civil Disobedience

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A free society can be one of several things. It could be a people - united and free. It could be the people in society free from government oppression. A free society is defined as a society in which the people in it are free to pursue and follow whatever they want to, as long as they don't obstruct the rights of others. Peaceful resistance positively impacts a free society because it brings the people together and it stands up to the government oppression. Peaceful resistance stands up to the government oppression in a given country. Henry David Thoreau states, in Civil Disobedience, "Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient." The word "expedient" means what is …show more content…

Civil disobedience is the act of opposing a low someone disagrees with, but accepting punishment for disobeying the said law. When a people is peacefully resistant to a law or rule, it opposes the government oppression by collectively saying "No, I won't do what you want me to do." Tom Mullen states, in his article "Muhammad Ali's Anti-War Stand Was Civil Disobedience, Not Draft-Dodging", "Ali never dodged the draft; he opposed it, accepting the legal consequences without any attempt to evade them. He didn’t flee to Canada or enroll in college to obtain a deferment. From the moment he learned of his induction, Ali stood firmly in the proud tradition of civil disobedience, saying 'just take me to jail.'" Muhammad Ali is a prime example of civil disobedience and peaceful resistance being used to oppose the government's wishes. He knew exactly what he was doing, and didn't care about the consequences because he felt that the reward was greater than the consequences. He valued civil rights and opposing the governments over his own personal venue. A free society, by definition, requires people to be free of government control or oppression, to pursue their

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