Essay On Peaceful Protest

I am a pacifist; I do not believe in nor promote violence. I do, however, promote peaceful protest. The act of civil disobedience, of protesting something that is unjust, unconstitutional is well within our constitutional rights. The right to criticize our government is one that was given, that was fought for by our founding fathers. It is an act that affects our society in a very positive way; peaceful resistance encourages others to criticize a cruel and unfair government. Peaceful protests, strikes, and boycotts have the opportunity to gain the government's attention, to try and stop these so-called "anarchists". When we look back at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we see a hero. We see someone who is intelligent, who is not afraid to argue,

Presenting your argument to the public, to the government in a logical and calm manner is the key to change. In modern times, peaceful protests are trying to be carried out by groups, but there are other, louder, and more violent members, who stand out. The Black Lives Matter movement is one such example. Black Lives Matter is a brilliant cause that brings to light how black people are being discriminated and hunted by policemen across America. There are certain individuals in the Black Lives Matter movement that resort to violence because they think they are helping the cause. They aren't. They are simply forcing citizens to associate Black Lives Matter with violence, with refusal to word their arguments, and with anarchy. People completely miss the message Black Lives Matter is trying to convey and only focus on the ruckus the violent individuals are causing. In times like this, we can only look back at Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and learn from it. King states that, "in any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct