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Civil disobedience essay

Civil disobedience essay



The civil rights era. Anarcho-primitivism, Government, Henry David Thoreau, Jr. With more and…. To bring light to this complex matter, outline any papers and essays on civil disobedience essay issue and pay attention to the introduction and conclusion of the writings. References Brunner, B.





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Introduction Civil disobedience has been a well-known approach to solving problems throughout our history. People such as Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, civil disobedience essay. In Civil Disobedience by Henry Thoreau and Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. Thoreau and King both talk about fighting even if it is against the law. A common theme found in both […]. Is it ever right to break the law? The dictionary defines civil disobedience as the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines, as a peaceful form of political protest.


Many people have been civil disobedients. Martin Luther King Jr. and Antigone are a couple of examples. There have been […]. In India Indians were civil disobedience essay heavily for salt by the British rule Kurtz. Gandhi was born into a Hindu […], civil disobedience essay. led a nonviolent protest advocating for equal rights for African-Americans. During this time period, racism and segregation were very prominent within the society. As a leader of his community, Dr, civil disobedience essay. King felt a need to oppose this crisis through the application of civil disobedience.


is recognized of his memorable life of leadership and service, which he was committed to and overall, died civil disobedience essay. He was a social activist who played a key role in the American civil rights movement until his civil disobedience essay inleaving one of the biggest impacts around the world, civil disobedience essay. He not […]. The first similarity is that the two countries experienced substantial growth in suburban living. The governments and the non-governmental organizations were readily available to assist the families of the ex-soldiers to settle in their home countries Parsons, Mahatma Gandhi and Henry David Thoreau are two individuals very notably known for their philosophies of non-violent resistance and protests.


This paper is intended to cover a multitude of things. Initially, it will review the moral principles that govern the rationality of each philosopher and further go on to compare and contrast both of their […]. Nonviolence resistance is the practice of achieving goals through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, satyagraha, or other methods while being nonviolent. Mahatma Gandhi, Marter Luther King Jr. within the jail he composed a letter that was directed to a priest within the human right movement. It is undeniable that Mohandas later earning the title Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most notable humanitarian figures that history has seen.


Throughout the course of his life, Gandhi worked diligently to fight racial oppression and the unjust British colonial rule in India. His political activism through the practice of non-civil disobedience inspired the […]. Selected Political Writings is a book written by Mahatma Gandhi through which he is able to assess different issues arising in society and discusses them critically in his view. In the book, civil disobedience essay, Gandhi has discussed various political problems issues in the society and how they could be solved by civil disobedience essay system which he explains in […].


Over the years, The United States of America has encountered itself struggling with its citizen. In order to be a democratic country as it is becoming now, nonviolence is one of the strongest civil disobedience essay of this puzzle. While the resister is passive in the sense that he is not physically aggressive toward his opponent, his […]. Socrates claims that it is never right […]. Some say that the pen is mightier than the sword, but what if I were to say that there was something mightier civil disobedience essay the civil disobedience essay, say, Non-violence. For centuries the idea of non-violence as a tool to combat injustice has been laughed at, […]. I agree with Wilde, civil disobedience essay. Disobedience can be a valuable human trait.


If there is no rebellion or disobedience, what will impel people to challenge social norms? Through rebellion and disobedience, people can help to foster issues and injustices that […]. Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert. Plagiarism checker Do the check. Writing Help Ask for help. Paraphrasing Tool Paraphrase my essay. Essay examples. Essay topics. Essay AboutCivil Disobedience Introduction Civil disobedience has been a well-known approach to solving problems throughout our history. Civil Disobedience of Thoreau and King In Civil Disobedience by Henry Thoreau and Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. What is Civil Disobedience? Gandhi United India 60,, men and women were arrested for going against the British policy Kurtz.


Gandhi Vs. Thoreau: Philosophies of Non-Violent Resistance and Protests Mahatma Gandhi and Henry David Thoreau are two individuals very notably known for their philosophies of non-violent resistance and protests. Mahatma Gandhi Philosophy It is undeniable that Mohandas later earning the title Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most notable humanitarian figures that history has seen. History of the United States of America : Citizen War Over the years, The United States of America has encountered itself struggling with its citizen. Right or Wrong to Break the Law Is it ever right to break the law?


Gandhi, Non-Violence and Indian Independence Some say that the pen is mightier than the sword, but what if I were to say that there was something mightier than the pen, say, Civil disobedience essay. how it works. Tell Us Your Requirements Specify your topic, deadline, number of pages and other requirements. Pick your perfect writer Chat with professional writers to civil disobedience essay the paper writer that suits you best. Get Your Paper and Pay Pay the writer only for a finished, plagiarism-free essay that meets all your requirements. GET WRITING HELP. short deadlines. Certified writers.





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ROSENBERG, MICHAEL. Colin Kaepernick Is Recipient of Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award. Sports Illustrated, Thoreau, Henry David. Civil disobedience. Broadview Press, Victor, Daniel. Colonial Civil Disobedience In the conclusion of the Seven Years War had effectively ended French political and cultural influence in North America. England gained massive amounts of land and vastly strengthened its hold on the continent; however the war also had subtler results. It badly eroded the relationship between England and Native Americans, forced Britain into incurring fairly large debts in order to win, and, played a major role in the worsening relationship between England and its colonies that eventually led into the evolutionary War.


Prior to the Seven Years War, Britain and France had been in competition for control of most of North America. Britain had an advantage because of its stronger Navy and its ability to encourage its citizens to settle in British colonies through the promise of land and wealth. Furthermore, the British military provided some protection for the colonists who bore virtually no tax burden…. References Faragher, J. Out of many: A history of the American people, Volume I 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. What was the purpose of Prohibition? Which groups and areas generally supported the movement? The purpose of Prohibition was ostensibly to reduce alcohol-related crimes and the suffering perpetrated by alcoholism on individuals, families particularly women and children , and society as a whole.


Yet it was largely made up of rural, native-born Protestants and there was also a strong anti-immigrant sentiment within the movement. The virulently racist Klu Klux Klan, for example, also supported Prohibition. In urban locations, the sentiment towards Prohibition was far different. In general, religion was less influential in cities, and many people profited from selling alcohol. Also, for European immigrants, particularly those from Catholic countries, alcohol had a very important place in their cultural worldview. Although Prohibition may have seemed like a benign attempt to protect women and children from…. Civil ights: The ole of Black Churches The audience will understand the role that black churches played in the ongoing Civil ights Movement.


In this speech, I will show that black churches -- through methods of advocacy, spiritual leadership and active participation -- play a significant role in the ongoing Civil ights Movement that began in the midth century and clearly continues on into today's times. Everyone knows of Martin Luther King, Jr. But how many people know about or realized that King was one of many black pastors to bring black churches into the Movement, providing leadership, spiritual nourishment, and advocacy to African-Americans struggling for equality? Or that black churches continue today to be part of that ongoing struggle? Just as black churches are making an impact in cities around the country where communities are torn by racial…. References African-American Registry. The Black Churches: A Brief History.


Upon this rock: The black church, nonviolence, and the Civil Rights Movement. PS: Political Science and Politics, 33 2 : Dagan, D. Black churches led the Civil Rights Movement. Can they do it again? The Huffington Post. American Civil ight Movement Compare and contrast the Southern Christian Leadership Conference SCLC and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee SNCC on the basis of their leadership, philosophy, and tactics. Philosophy Southern Christian Leadership Conference SCLC was a civil rights organization that was initiated by African-Americans in Fairclough, The movement was primarily aimed at ending the segregation and discrimination against the black African population in the U.


The core philosophy of SCLC revolved around to seek civil rights and economic justice for the people of Southern States having majority of African-Americans. Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee SNCC actually aimed achieving same objectives as those of SCLC but through non-violent sit-in and defiance of segregated dining and lunch services. The core philosophy of SNCC was also eliminating segregation but the mission statement was narrower compared to SCLC. Leadership The most prominent leader of SCLC was Martin Luther King, Jr. Other prominent…. References Dyson, M.


April 4, Martin Luther King, Jr. Basic Books. Fairclough, A. To Redeem the Soul of America: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Martin Luther King, Jr. University of Georgia Press. pdf] Sundquist, J. Politics and Policy: The Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson Years. Brookings Institution Press. Board of Education of Topeka. This case represented a watershed for Civil ights and helped to signal an end to segregation because it determined that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" Warren, It is essential to note that federal support on this particular issue was only earned after African-Americans decided to use the legislative system to their advantage by taking the segregationist school system of Topeka, Kansas to task.


This particular court case was a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of 13 parents whose children were enrolled in the city's school system. This action was highly influential in the African-American struggle for civil rights and to end discrimination because it demonstrated that they had learned the most effective means of fighting this systemic oppression -- by utilizing the system itself, in this instance, the legislative system that ran the country. By doing so, African-Americans helped to end the…. References Du Bois, W. DuBois, W. Contributions by Booker T. Washington, Principal of Tuskegee Institute, W. Burghardt DuBois, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Charles W.


Chesnutt, and others. constitution: abolition of slavery. Inquiry Fergueson re-examined. Popular Film Cultures Have Propelled Civil and Social Rights Culture is referred as shared interaction, patterns, cognitive constructs, behaviors as well as effective understanding learned through socialization and transferred from one generation to the other. In the United States and outside the United States, films have become a powerful tool to transmit cultures. In , there were more than 6. For example, many people across the world are imitating American culture by watching their movies.


Moreover, films have become a powerful tool for propelling civil and social rights. Civil rights movements protect people from…. Somalia Civil war SOMALIA- CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WA Columbia Encyclopedia describes the geographical position of Somalia in these words: Somalia is directly south of the Arabian Peninsula across the Gulf of Aden. It comprises almost the entire African coast of the Gulf of Aden and a longer stretch on the Indian Ocean. It is bounded on the NW by Djibouti, on the W. By Ethiopia, on the SW by Kenya, and on the S.


And E. By the Indian Ocean. Mogadishu is the capital. There are 18 regions. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Somalia has been ruled by various imperial empires. Some of its earlier rulers were the nations of Oman, Turks and Zanzibar. Most of these nations lost control in Somalia. Britain, France and Italy came to this part of the world in the 19th century. Each country has had a say during its rule. It was…. References The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Columbia University Press, Page , I. Lewis: A Modern History of Somalia: Nation and State in the Horn of Africa, I. Lewis, Westview Press, Simons, Anna: Networks of Dissolution: Somalia Undone, Westview Press, Learning from Somalia: The Lessons of Armed Humanitarian Intervention, Walter M.


Clarke, Jeffrey M. Herbst, Westview Press, Thoreau's Resistance To Civil Government This is a paper discussing the Henry David Thoreau's essay 'Resistance to Civil Government' and arguing that his ideas represent the extreme individualism and anarchist ideology. The renowned American author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau is considered to be one of the most influential minds in the American thought and literature. Thoreau had not only great influence on American thought but also on the politics of the world, some of his ideas and concepts that he developed were the most original political doctrines devised by American thinker.


We appreciate this more, considering the fact that he was an unconventional thinker. At the heart of Thoreau political philosophy was the concept of individualism, he was a supreme individualist and championed the human spirit against materialism and social conformity. His most famous book, "Walden" is an eloquent account of his experiment in near solitary living in…. responded to the Great Depression by electing FDR, who brought out his Alphabet Programs which were supposed to put the nation back to work with public works projects.


When that failed to restore the economy, the world elected to start with a new war: WWII. Germany had been buried by the Western powers following WWI -- and now the country threatened to assert itself once more. Russia was in the middle of its own revolution: Stalin was liquidating the kulaks and rounding others up and shipping them off to the Gulag. That did not help Russia's economy any more than FDR's Alphabet program -- but it did not matter: war was on the horizon. Japan was being strangled by Western powers: the American military-industrial-congressional complex essentially forced Japan to attack -- and then sat back and let it happen when Japan finally decided to bomb Pearl Harbor. Thus, America…. Freedom and Equality in the 20th century AN UN-ENDING FIGHT Two Primary Methods against Segregation Policies The Civil Rights Movement of African-Americans in the United States, also called the s Civil Rights Movement, consisted of mass actions, aimed at ending racial discrimination and segregation against them Tavaana, At the same time, it aimed at acquiring legal recognition and federal protection of their rights as citizens, as enshrined in the Constitution and federal law.


The Movement was particularly active in the South between and Tavaana. The two primary methods used by the Movement in pursuing its ends were non-violent protests and civil disobedience Tavaana, These and other campaigns were forms of civil resistance. They triggered crises and induced the holding of meaningful talks between them and government authorities. These initiatives were effective in the federal, state, and local levels of government as well as businesses and communities. The civil rights era. Part I, African-American Odyssey. html Civil Rights Civil rights expanded: contemporary effects. The Leadership Conference.


html Foner, E. Expert report. Diversity Matters: University of Michigan. Civil Disobedience One might think that finding parallels between a Dr. Seuss story and the real-life story of Rosa Parks does not make sense. However, that is less than true as the parallels and commonalities are early and often when it comes to comparing the history of one and the story created on the other. Indeed, civil disobedience has taken on many forms but it is seemingly the least violent yet poignant events that seem to be the most effective. It was something that Martin Luther King Jr.


greatly touted and Rosa Park and her refusal to move from her seat was just another example of that. While civil disobedience is sometimes disruptive or otherwise counterproductive, it is a thing of magic when it is done well. Analysis To answer the important question first, civil disobedience is basically a means that people use to protest laws that are deemed to…. This is designed to help support individuals who are dealing with financial challenges. The problem is that select amounts of recipients will use as a way to live off of the government. Wolf, How might a socialist and a capitalist government differ in its treatment of the problem of unemployment? Socialists want to see massive amounts of government spending to create new jobs, training programs and provide unemployment benefits.


In your opinion, should the government have the responsibility of providing health care for every citizen? Why or why not? Yes, the government should provide health care. The reason why is because prices are increasing exponentially and the number of uninsured is rising. These factors are a sign that there is very little competition inside the sector. To address these…. References Puerto Rico Statehood Amendment. htm Sin Taxes. Six Taxes. Connecticut Voices for Children. He centers on people's inability to act according to the dictates of their conscience, for the existence of laws and policies rendered society paralyzed and unable to think conscientiously about their actions -- that is, whether the actions they committed were conscientiously right or wrong.


Asserting this point, he stated, "Can there not be a government in which majorities do not virtually decide right and wrong, but conscience? Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience, then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. In "On the duty of civil…. What does this have to do with the rest of paragraph 27? The individual and the institution of the state cannot flourish when their interests are in competition: one of the 'seeds' must die. In this paragraph, Thoreau talks about how he sees his neighbors in a new light after his night in jail. After suffering the loss of his liberty, he sees how little his neighbors are willing to risk of their own security to see justice done.


Paraphrase each of these observations: a. Conflict between Civil Obedience and Moral Freedom Free ill and Personal Conscience in the Discourses of Henry Thoreau, Martin Luther King, and Plato People in societies, upon establishing institutions that provides and maintains order, unity, and peace within the society, are bound together through an agreement. This agreement, termed the "social contract," binds people together to commit subject themselves to the power of the government, where part of an individual's free will is given to it. The government acts as an agent, the representative of the people, in order to ensure that all members of the society comply with the laws of Nature, wherein humans are under obligation to follow.


In effect, the government plays a vital role in ensuring the society that peace, unity, and order are established. Any deviation or disobedience from the laws imposed by the society can result to punishment of the individual. Indeed, social institutions…. Works Cited King, M. Letter from Birmingham Jail. Translated by Sanderson Beck. Thoreau, H. On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. Gandhi Influenced Martin Luther King Martin Luther King Jr. is a historical figure as he helped to win civic liberties and social equality for the Black Americans during the s and s. His approach towards the struggle was based on nonviolent civil disobedience as opposed to armed struggle. In that, he was inspired by the philosophy of nonviolence used by Gandhi to gain independence for India against the British.


Despite belonging to two different cultures and historical periods, there is great fundamental similarity in the philosophies of both the leaders. At the same time, King adopts a more active approach and gives relatively less stress on personal suffering and endurance. hat King adopted from Gandhi's Philosophy Gandhi initiated the civil disobedience movement against the British rule in the Indian subcontinent. Since the British had military superiority over the local Indian population, Gandhi devised a novel and effective strategy to highlight…. Works Cited Center for Compassionate Living. Principles of Nonviolence. Center for Compassionate Living, Accessed on 25 April King, Mary, E. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.


Print Nojeim, Michael, J. Gandhi and King: The Power of Nonviolent Resistance Greenwood Publishing. Print The King Center. The King Philosophy. The King Center, Two, countries or world leaders might act with selfish motives. For instance, genocide might be ignored if that country is a valuable trading partner or a member of a strategic alliance. Non-Violent Civil Disobedience Discussion 1: Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr. And Nelson Mandela all organized massive movements based on non-violent solutions to major social crises. In each of these cases, non-violent solutions resulted in positive social change.


Ghandi secured India's independence from British colonial rule; King bolstered the Civil Rights movement and helped break down institutionalized racism in the United States; and Nelson Mandela fought against apartheid even from within his prison cell. Each of these cases demonstrates the effectiveness of non-violence as a means to secure social change. Moreover, in each of these cases the non-violent movement brought the cause into the public arena. Ghandi, King, and Mandela garnered tremendous support for their causes by refraining from…. Monkey Wrench Gang," by Edward Abbey [ Is Monkey Wrenching a part of the fabric of participatory democracy? Monkey Wrenching is clearly extraordinary politics, but does it have a place in our participatory representative democracy? THE MONKEY WRENCH GANG Participation in America may seem like a dying art, but every day, thousands of Americans participate in their communities, take care of others, and spout their political beliefs for the betterment of all.


From grandmothers who read to children in their local library, to college student protesting the war in Iraq, citizens in America have the right to change the world, one person at a time. Edward Abbey's "The Monkey Wrench Gang" is a novel of participation at its best. The motley gang of four…. Bibliography Abbey, Edward. The Monkey Wrench Gang. New York: Perennial Classics, Letter From a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. Specifically it will discuss the structure of law according to Locke and how King's views on civil disobedience and how they related to Locke's views.


Both men talk about the types of laws and whether they are social contracts, along with our obligation under law. John Locke believed laws were central to a civil society, and in fact, they defined civil society. He wrote, "Those who are united into one body, and have a common established law and judicature to appeal to, with authority to decide controversies between them, and punish offenders, are in civil society one with another" Locke 3. He also believed that no one should be exempt from the laws, or a civil society would not exist. Laws are created when civil society elects representatives, who pass laws that act….


References Locke, John. Tarcov, Nathan. Charles Fort's We do not Fear the Father and Louise Edrich's the Lady in the Pink Mustang, what are the metaphors, similes and allegories in these two poems? How do they enhance the meaning of the poem? A pink car signifies that she wants to be a girly-girly with a simple life, but the car, proud, and different. The car is a mustang, which is a wild, fast, and promiscuous creature. Regardless, she feels…. ELF Earth Liberation Front ELF ELF Logo Earth Liberation Front, N.


The group is comprised of loosely affiliated or autonomous cells that are only bound by the idea that they can move beyond civil disobedience and accept more contentious tactics for the defense of their environmental causes. This group was one of the groups that helped coined the label of an "eco-terrorist" which later became mainstream label of such types of offenders. The ELF group was considered one of the first eco-terrorist groups and was at one time labeled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI as the most dangerous domestic terror group in the United States.


Works Cited Earth Liberation Front. Earth Liberation Front. Definitions of Terrorism in the U. Testimony Before the House Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health. If a tree falls: A story of the Earth Liberation Front documentary. Retrieved from Libcom. And Lewis Van Dusen, Jr. state their respective positions on the feasibility of civil disobedience. Each argument is eloquent, well-organized, impassioned, and thorough. asserts that civil disobedience is an absolute necessity to achieve the aims of the civil rights movement, while Lewis Van Dusen, Jr.


claims that civil disobedience subverts the democratic process and can potentially lead to violence. It is difficult, if not impossible, to find weaknesses in King's actual argument: his position is supported with historical fact, personal experience, and ethics. He challenges the status quo, which is always irksome, but his argument is sound. Van Dusen, while he has a point about the destructive consequences of mob mentality, fails to understand the ingrained prejudices in the democratic system he holds so dear. disagree on several levels, the most fundamental of…. Thoreau and Locke acknowledge the right of the people to renounce their allegiance to their government, what is the difference between their understandings of this right and what different conditions would warrant such an act?


When do citizens have the right to throw off the yoke of a sovereign and adopt a new form of governance that is more in keeping with the wishes and their needs of the majority of the populace? I did not see why the lyceum should not present its tax-bill, and have the State to back its demand, as well as the Church. However, at the request of the selectmen, I condescended to make some such statement as this in writing:- "Know all men by these presents, that I, Henry Thoreau, do not wish to be regarded as a member of any incorporated society which I have not joined. The State, having thus learned that I did not wish to be regarded as a member of that church, has never made a like demand on me since; though it said that it must adhere to its original presumption that time.


If I had known how to name them, I should then have signed off in detail from all the societies which I never signed on to; but I did not know where to find a complete list. I have paid no poll-tax for six years. I was put into a jail once on this account, for one night; and, as I stood considering the walls of solid stone, two or three feet thick, the door of wood and iron, a foot thick, and the iron grating which strained the light, I could not help being struck with the foolishness of that institution which treated me as if I were mere flesh and blood and bones, to be locked up.


I wondered that it should have concluded at length that this was the best use it could put me to, and had never thought to avail itself of my services in some way. I saw that, if there was a wall of stone between me and my townsmen, there was a still more difficult one to climb or break through before they could get to be as free as I was. I did not for a moment feel confined, and the walls seemed a great waste of stone and mortar. I felt as if I alone of all my townsmen had paid my tax. They plainly did not know how to treat me, but behaved like persons who are underbred. In every threat and in every compliment there was a blunder; for they thought that my chief desire was to stand the other side of that stone wall.


I could not but smile to see how industriously they locked the door on my meditations, which followed them out again without let or hindrance, and they were really all that was dangerous. As they could not reach me, they had resolved to punish my body; just as boys, if they cannot come at some person against whom they have a spite, will abuse his dog. I saw that the State was half-witted, that it was timid as a lone woman with her silver spoons, and that it did not know its friends from its foes, and I lost all my remaining respect for it, and pitied it. Thus the State never intentionally confronts a man's sense, intellectual or moral, but only his body, his senses. It is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength. I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion.


Let us see who is the strongest. What force has a multitude? They only can force me who obey a higher law than I. They force me to become like themselves. I do not hear of men being forced to have this way or that by masses of men. What sort of life were that to live? When I meet a government which says to me, "Your money or your life," why should I be in haste to give it my money? It may be in a great strait, and not know what to do: I cannot help that. It must help itself; do as I do. It is not worth the while to snivel about it. I am not responsible for the successful working of the machinery of society.


I am not the son of the engineer. I perceive that, when an acorn and a chestnut fall side by side, the one does not remain inert to make way for the other, but both obey their own laws, and spring and grow and flourish as best they can, till one, perchance, overshadows and destroys the other. If a plant cannot live according to its nature, it dies; and so a man. The night in prison was novel and interesting enough. The prisoners in their shirt-sleeves were enjoying a chat and the evening air in the doorway, when I entered. But the jailer said, "Come, boys, it is time to lock up"; and so they dispersed, and I heard the sound of their steps returning into the hollow apartments.


My room-mate was introduced to me by the jailer as "a first-rate fellow and a clever man. The rooms were whitewashed once a month; and this one, at least, was the whitest, most simply furnished, and probably the neatest apartment in the town. He naturally wanted to know where I came from, and what brought me there; and, when I had told him, I asked him in my turn how he came there, presuming him to be an honest man, of course; and, as the world goes, I believe he was. He had the reputation of being a clever man, had been there some three months waiting for his trial to come on, and would have to wait as much longer; but he was quite domesticated and contented, since he got his board for nothing, and thought that he was well treated. He occupied one window, and I the other; and I saw that if one stayed there long, his principal business would be to look out the window.


I had soon read all the tracts that were left there, and examined where former prisoners had broken out, and where a grate had been sawed off, and heard the history of the various occupants of that room; for I found that even here there was a history and a gossip which never circulated beyond the walls of the jail. Probably this is the only house in the town where verses are composed, which are afterward printed in a circular form, but not published. I was shown quite a long list of verses which were composed by some young men who had been detected in an attempt to escape, who avenged themselves by singing them.


I pumped my fellow-prisoner as dry as I could, for fear I should never see him again; but at length he showed me which was my bed, and left me to blow out the lamp. It was like travelling into a far country, such as I had never expected to behold, to lie there for one night. It seemed to me that I never had heard the town clock strike before, nor the evening sounds of the village; for we slept with the windows open, which were inside the grating. It was to see my native village in the light of the Middle Ages, and our Concord was turned into a Rhine stream, and visions of knights and castles passed before me.


They were the voices of old burghers that I heard in the streets. I was an involuntary spectator and auditor of whatever was done and said in the kitchen of the adjacent village inn- a wholly new and rare experience to me. It was a closer view of my native town. I was fairly inside of it. I never had seen its institutions before. This is one of its peculiar institutions; for it is a shire town. I began to comprehend what its inhabitants were about. In the morning, our breakfasts were put through the hole in the door, in small oblong-square tin pans, made to fit, and holding a pint of chocolate, with brown bread, and an iron spoon.


When they called for the vessels again, I was green enough to return what bread I had left; but my comrade seized it, and said that I should lay that up for lunch or dinner. Soon after he was let out to work at haying in a neighboring field, whither he went every day, and would not be back till noon; so he bade me good-day, saying that he doubted if he should see me again. When I came out of prison- for some one interfered, and paid that tax- I did not perceive that great changes had taken place on the common, such as he observed who went in a youth and emerged a tottering and gray-headed man; and yet a change had to my eyes come over the scene- the town, and State, and country- greater than any that mere time could effect.


I saw yet more distinctly the State in which I lived. I saw to what extent the people among whom I lived could be trusted as good neighbors and friends; that their friendship was for summer weather only; that they did not greatly propose to do right; that they were a distinct race from me by their prejudices and superstitions, as the Chinamen and Malays are; that in their sacrifices to humanity they ran no risks, not even to their property; that after all they were not so noble but they treated the thief as he had treated them, and hoped, by a certain outward observance and a few prayers, and by walking in a particular straight though useless path from time to time, to save their souls. This may be to judge my neighbors harshly; for I believe that many of them are not aware that they have such an institution as the jail in their village.


It was formerly the custom in our village, when a poor debtor came out of jail, for his acquaintances to salute him, looking through their fingers, which were crossed to represent the grating of a jail window, "How do ye do? I was put into jail as I was going to the shoemaker's to get a shoe which was mended. When I was let out the next morning, I proceeded to finish my errand, and, having put on my mended shoe, joined a huckleberry party, who were impatient to put themselves under my conduct; and in half an hour- for the horse was soon tackled- was in the midst of a huckleberry field, on one of our highest hills, two miles off, and then the State was nowhere to be seen.


I have never declined paying the highway tax, because I am as desirous of being a good neighbor as I am of being a bad subject; and as for supporting schools, I am doing my part to educate my fellow-countrymen now. It is for no particular item in the tax-bill that I refuse to pay it. I simply wish to refuse allegiance to the State, to withdraw and stand aloof from it effectually. I do not care to trace the course of my dollar, if I could, till it buys a man or a musket to shoot one with- the dollar is innocent- but I am concerned to trace the effects of my allegiance.


In fact, I quietly declare war with the State, after my fashion, though I will still make what use and get what advantage of her I can, as is usual in such cases. If others pay the tax which is demanded of me, from a sympathy with the State, they do but what they have already done in their own case, or rather they abet injustice to a greater extent than the State requires. If they pay the tax from a mistaken interest in the individual taxed, to save his property, or prevent his going to jail, it is because they have not considered wisely how far they let their private feelings interfere with the public good. This, then, is my position at present. But one cannot be too much on his guard in such a case, lest his action be biased by obstinacy or an undue regard for the opinions of men. Let him see that he does only what belongs to himself and to the hour.


I think sometimes, Why, this people mean well, they are only ignorant; they would do better if they knew how: why give your neighbors this pain to treat you as they are not inclined to? But I think again, This is no reason why I should do as they do, or permit others to suffer much greater pain of a different kind. Again, I sometimes say to myself, When many millions of men, without heat, without ill will, without personal feeling of any kind, demand of you a few shillings only, without the possibility, such is their constitution, of retracting or altering their present demand, and without the possibility, on your side, of appeal to any other millions, why expose yourself to this overwhelming brute force?


You do not resist cold and hunger, the winds and the waves, thus obstinately; you quietly submit to a thousand similar necessities. You do not put your head into the fire. But just in proportion as I regard this as not wholly a brute force, but partly a human force, and consider that I have relations to those millions as to so many millions of men, and not of mere brute or inanimate things, I see that appeal is possible, first and instantaneously, from them to the Maker of them, and, secondly, from them to themselves.


But if I put my head deliberately into the fire, there is no appeal to fire or to the Maker of fire, and I have only myself to blame. If I could convince myself that I have any right to be satisfied with men as they are, and to treat them accordingly, and not according, in some respects, to my requisitions and expectations of what they and I ought to be, then, like a good Mussulman and fatalist, I should endeavor to be satisfied with things as they are, and say it is the will of God. And, above all, there is this difference between resisting this and a purely brute or natural force, that I can resist this with some effect; but I cannot expect, like Orpheus, to change the nature of the rocks and trees and beasts.


I do not wish to quarrel with any man or nation. I do not wish to split hairs, to make fine distinctions, or set myself up as better than my neighbors. I seek rather, I may say, even an excuse for conforming to the laws of the land. I am but too ready to conform to them. Indeed, I have reason to suspect myself on this head; and each year, as the tax-gatherer comes round, I find myself disposed to review the acts and position of the general and State governments, and the spirit of the people, to discover a pretext for conformity. I believe that the State will soon be able to take all my work of this sort out of my hands, and then I shall be no better a patriot than my fellow-countrymen.


Seen from a lower point of view, the Constitution, with all its faults, is very good; the law and the courts are very respectable; even this State and this American government are, in many respects, very admirable, and rare things, to be thankful for, such as a great many have described them; but seen from a point of view a little higher, they are what I have described them; seen from a higher still, and the highest, who shall say what they are, or that they are worth looking at or thinking of at all? However, the government does not concern me much, and I shall bestow the fewest possible thoughts on it.


It is not many moments that I live under a government, even in this world. If a man is thought-free, fancy-free, imagination-free, that which is not never for a long time appearing to be to him, unwise rulers or reformers cannot fatally interrupt him. I know that most men think differently from myself; but those whose lives are by profession devoted to the study of these or kindred subjects content me as little as any. Statesmen and legislators, standing so completely within the institution, never distinctly and nakedly behold it. They speak of moving society, but have no resting-place without it. They may be men of a certain experience and discrimination, and have no doubt invented ingenious and even useful systems, for which we sincerely thank them; but all their wit and usefulness lie within certain not very wide limits.


They are wont to forget that the world is not governed by policy and expediency. Webster never goes behind government, and so cannot speak with authority about it. His words are wisdom to those legislators who contemplate no essential reform in the existing government; but for thinkers, and those who legislate for all time, he never once glances at the subject. I know of those whose serene and wise speculations on this theme would soon reveal the limits of his mind's range and hospitality. Yet, compared with the cheap professions of most reformers, and the still cheaper wisdom and eloquence of politicians in general, his are almost the only sensible and valuable words, and we thank Heaven for him.


Comparatively, he is always strong, original, and, above all, practical. Still, his quality is not wisdom, but prudence. The lawyer's truth is not Truth, but consistency or a consistent expediency. Truth is always in harmony with herself, and is not concerned chiefly to reveal the justice that may consist with wrong-doing. He well deserves to be called, as he has been called, the Defender of the Constitution. There are really no blows to be given by him but defensive ones. He is not a leader, but a follower. His leaders are the men of ' "I have never made an effort," he says, "and never propose to make an effort; I have never countenanced an effort, and never mean to countenance an effort, to disturb the arrangement as originally made, by which the various States came into the Union.


Associations formed elsewhere, springing from a feeling of humanity, or any other cause, have nothing whatever to do with it. Thoreau believes government is the Anarcho-primitivism, Democracy, Henry David Thoreau, Human rights, Individual rights, Individualist anarchism, Liberalism, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Civil disobedience is the term for refusing to follow certain laws in a peaceful form of political protest. With a diverse use of literary devices like, rhetorical question, allusions, and imagery, authors like Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Disobedience Martin Luther King. The three forbidden topics: politics, sex, religion. If opinions clash into each Civil Disobedience Liberty.


Slavery was the primary provoking factor that made a Civil War break out in the U. This was because there was a clear distinction between Northern Abolitionists and people in the South who heavily relied on slavery, because they were required for their agricultural based American Civil War Civil Disobedience Slave Trade. African American Civil Disobedience Protest. Ideological movement, Members of the negritude movement, Negritude, Negritude movement, Senghor negritude. is characterized by a freedom from anxiety and being highly aware of the limitations of humanity.


The Enchiridion is a list of 52 principles that, by following them, would allow one to become as Civil Disobedience Letter From Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King. Non-Violent Direct Action King Non- violent direct action according to Martin Luther King is to create a tension using the four steps listed below in the community so people cannot ignore the injustice that is happening. King lists four steps to non-violent direct action: John Stuart Mill, Justice, Martin Luther King, Nonviolence, Utilitarianism. There is an old saying that states that one should not build a house on sand; instead, one should always build a house on solid ground. Using this phrase as a metaphor in order to discuss the foundations of government, one can allude to the Anarcho-primitivism, Democracy, Individual, Individual rights, Individualism, Individualist anarchism.


Allegory of The Cave Civil Disobedience Utopia. Aristotle, Epistemology, Government, Human, Ignorance, Knowledge, Pain, Plato. Henry Thoreau- Civil Disobedience Pre-reading Questions Thoreau thinks that the most ethical and moral government is one that does not exist. Thoreau believes it is up to the people to become moral and ethical America has long been recognized as a democratic nation, a nation operating under the will of the people. The forefathers of America fought incessantly against British tyranny to start anew in a land of freedom and opportunity. Because America revived the ancient Greek ideology of Book Report Civil Disobedience Democracy.


Democracy, Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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