What is freedom without the freedom of speech, the freedom of assembly, and the freedom of the press? What is freedom without disagreement, discussion and discourse? What is freedom without the right to resist? Our nation was founded on the principles of freedom and still works tirelessly to ensure that all citizens and inhabitants are free. We strive to uphold the values of compromise, disagreement and peaceful resistance, just as our founding fathers did many years ago. Our nation is the phoenix born from the ashes of the American Revolution – a revolution that started as a peaceful movement against the British. I condemn the fact that some resistance does become violent. History has shown us time after time that peace is not always upheld; however, peaceful resistance is louder than any gunshot. The determination of the early colonists boycotting tea, sugar and English products had more gusto and took more courage than any shot fired during the American Revolutionary War. The pain of the children who marched in Birmingham during the Children’s Crusade was more wounding than any violent acts committed by the Black Panthers. Gandhi’s hunger strikes echoed around the globe, when the brutal street brawls failed to resonate. Today, those who stand in …show more content…
Peaceful resistance towards the laws enacted by our leaders is the way we, the people, let our voices ring. Without peaceful resistance, we would not be a free society. A free society is one in which people can be the change. When we cannot stand up to those who rule, we are not free. When the voice of the poor are silenced because they cannot resist the tyranny of the wealthy, we are not free. When the owners dismiss the needs of the factory workers because the workers unable to strike, we are not free. We are a free society when people can rise above unjust, unfair and unequal laws. We are a fee society when all voices are
Gandhi once said “An eye for an eye and the whole world is blind.” This is true in most circumstances but there are exceptions. By comparing acts of nonviolent civil disobedience with acts of violent civil disobedience it is apparent that force or violence is only necessary to combat violence but never if it effects the lives of the innocent. A recurrent theme in each of these examples is that there is a genuine desire to achieve equality and liberty. However, one cannot take away the liberties of others in order to gain their own. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that political change would come faster through nonviolent methods and one can not argue his results as many of the Jim Crow laws were repealed. Similarly, through nonviolent resistance Gandhi was able to eventually free India from the rule of Britain. It is true that sometimes the only way to fight violence is through violence, but as is apparent, much can be said of peaceful demonstrations in order to enact change. Thus, it is the responsibility of we as individuals to understand that nonviolence is often a more viable means to an end than violence.
Freedom. This influential idea has lead many of people march to demand their freedoms. Whether that freedom be from Great Britain or slaves owners, many of American’s have marched for their rights. What is the definition of freedom? Freedom is defined as the power to act, speak, or think as one wants without opposition. Freedom is a part part of American culture. Some may even say that America’s very foundations were built off of freedom and the right to do as we wish with our lives. In the eighteen hundreds American Colonists were feeling the pressures of the British that would soon lead the the Revolutionary War and our freedom. Some people might consider this idea of freedom as radical and possibly way ahead of it’s time back then. But it
What does freedom really mean? Many people today are aware that they have a right to freedom, but do not know what that really means. Religion, speech, press, assembly and petition are the five freedoms that the First Amendment specifically speaks about. Let’s take a look at the definition of each of the five freedoms, what the government says about our freedom, how it is acted out and portrayed in America, and a few case studies involving the different aspects of the First Amendment.
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
(H) Freedom is something many crave and fight for. (CS) Freedom has copious attributes and qualities that are present in “Revolution 2.0” by Wael Ghonim, “The Letter from Birmingham” by Martin Luther King Junior, and the ‘Speech at the March on Washington” by Josephine Baker. (G1) Using speech is a glorious way to show your freedom. (G2) People have to be equal to really be free. (G3) Respect is another major quality of freedom. (TH) Speech, equality, and respect all constitute freedom.
I am inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. in my answer to the original question. A peaceful resistance can make a positive impact on society when a law “degrades human personality”. One must disobey a law that is “not square with the law of moral”. Resist a government that sets laws to take the freedom of groups and individuals, that causes harm and chaos, and does not “cherish the minority”.One must follow suit of our past leaders of change and make a positive impact, they must peacefully
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
Freedom has always been something that Americans greatly value. The Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal”, and one of the lines in the national anthem boasts that the United States is “the land of the free”. However, looking back to when these documents were created, few statements could have been further from the truth. The treatment of many groups in America’s history proves that the country has not always been “land of the free”.
Perhaps the most exclusive aspect of American freedom is stated directly in the Declaration of Independence. It states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" (Jefferson). This well-known statement truly incorporates all facets of what it means to be free in America. The citizens of this country have the right to live. They have the right to be free of restriction and control, to do what they please. And they have the right to be happy in whatever way that might be. These rights are...
Freedom represents something greater than just the right to act however citizens choose it also stands for securing to everyone an equal opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. According to society today, freedom means more than just free to do say and do anything you want. Taken literally, that approach would produce anarchy every man, woman, and child for himself or herself. Fortunately, none of us has to live that way. Freedom is the quality a person has with controls over his or her own life, and nobody can control them or tell that person what to do. Complete freedom is very hard to obtain in today’s society.
Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. In America there is numerous of choices that someone may make on a daily basis. If someone were allowed to make their own choices and were being told what to do; then they would not be free. When someone is allowed to speak when they want to, and say what they want; such as their opinion or view of something. Being allowed to have a right to speak is one of the most important characteristics of being an American. Thinking and stating your opinion in any predicament it a strong part in being a citizen because people in the United States are known for being able to think in their own ways. Freedom can stretch too many things such as being able to do as they please, they are not forced into doing anything that someone may want. The citizens of the United States are not made to do anything that one may not want to do; like
Do you consider your life full of freedom?Perhaps you overlooked some freedoms and took them for granted. Freedom is defined as having the power or right to speak, think, or act without hindrance or restraint. There are many examples of freedom being demanded. Even America has had its share of wars for freedom from the Revolutionary war to the Civil war. Freedom is never given, but demanded.
Freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think as one desires without undergoing any form of hindrance or restraint that would limit one from doing so. Although over time the definition may have altered due to various circumstances, the word “freedom” remains a symbol of hope and of independence to millions worldwide. When you think of a country that the word “freedom” most applies to, many would most likely agree with the United States of America. Throughout the nation and even across the globe, many associate the lines “Land of the Free” with America, especially since they have been sung religiously in the national anthem written by Francis Scott Key in 1931. Ever since 1931 America has keyed into the slogan “Land of the
Peaceful resistance has a great impact on society. Over history it has been seen many times, times that are still talked about today. People have become famous because they stand up for what they believe in and what they believe is right, for example Rosa Parks, she did not believe it was right for her to have to move for a white person, why should she have to? All people were created equally and meant to, if at least co-exsist. Peaceful resistance can turn into something that is not very peaceful, people can get angry at the person, as a result of them getting angry the one said to be peacefully resisting may begin to get angry as well.
Bloodshed, amendments to the Constitution, and the systematic classification of people have led to the way the word freedom is defined today, however, over time its original definition has been abused and misconstrued. Freedoms in their purest are permissions or abilities granted to an individual that specify the limitation(s) regarding what they are permitted to do. Without freedoms, individuals would not be individuals, societies could not function, governments would exercise too much power, and almost all of the enjoyable things in life would cease. Freedoms are what give societies innovation, what make people unique and what make life worth living. Without freedoms, society would most likely grind to a halt and any form of progression would