Civil Disobedience Vs Nonviolence

Parents tell their children that violence is never the answer– they are right. Nonviolent solutions should be the automatic way to resolve issues. Civil disobedience and nonviolence are still relevant today; the Civil Rights and Black Lives Matter movements, as well as other examples throughout world history, advocate their effectiveness.

Nonviolence and civil disobedience are very similar means of protest. Civil disobedience is the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines, as a peaceful form of political protest (Definition of civil disobedience). Nonviolence is the policy, practice, or technique of refraining from the use of violence,especially when reacting to or protesting against oppression, injustice, or discrimination

(Non Violence). There are many ways to protest. One can hold a march, sit in, boycott, make a speech- the list goes on. There is no reason one must resort to violence to enforce change and get its point across.
The Civil Rights movement is one of the United States most important events in history. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a major asset to this movement. King was a minister and leader for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; his religious background helped him acquire his nonviolent lifestyle. He stood for “equality for all” and participated in civil disobedient actions. As proposed in his famous “I Have A Dream” speech: "Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice" (The Best 15). His main goal through all of his actions was to create a safe, comfortable environment for people of every race, gender, or religion. Martin Luther King Jr. was a supporter of nonviolence; he believed that violence was not the way to get the attention needed to persuade change in the United States. He preached that anyone following his movements exhibited a strong, forceful case without the physical force. Although he wanted peaceful protests, some would result in violence due to racists,and Southern police brutality. King’s first civil rights action was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was in response to Rosa Parks being arrested for not giving her bus seat up to a white man and violating the Jim Crow laws. King was the leader of this 385-day boycott in 1955. King then led numerous other events to help serve his dream.
Selma to Montgomery.

This was the route for the first major march Martin Luther King Jr. led in March 1965. The Selma March would last for five days and consist of 55 miles of walking. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) had been campaigning for complete voting rights (Selma to Montgomery). This march was their staple project to obtain their constitutional voting rights and put a spotlight on limited yet still “equal” rights they were receiving. Selma started out as a peaceful march through Alabama compiled of people from around the nation: white and black. When Alabama state troopers, who were primarily against Black rights, arrived, the protesters continued to walk forward towards their destination. As soon as the police realized they were not going to stop marching, they beat them brutally and mercilessly threw tear gas and other stunning weapons toward the crowd. Hundreds of thousands of marchers were injured and traumatized, however, they continued despite the altercation. By the last day, the crowd reached a population of approximately 25,000 supporters. On August 6th, in the presence of Dr. King and other civil rights leaders, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Recalling ‘‘the outrage of Selma,’’ Johnson called the right to vote ‘‘the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they

are different from other men.” In his annual address to the SCLC a few days later, King noted that Montgomery led to the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and 1960 (Selma to Montgomery). Selma was a nonviolent march that led to three essential pieces of legislation and influenced the rest of the 1960s and future eras for the better.
The March on Washington has to be one of the most memorable and life-changing nonviolent movements the world has ever seen. The March on Washington was used to put a spotlight on political and social challenges African Americans faced and called for racial justice and equality. Martin Luther King Jr. led this movement of over 200,000 marchers to storm Washington D.C. Here King gave his popular seventeen minute “I Have A Dream” speech. In addition to Martin Luther King Jr., the March on Washington featured speeches and performances from John Lewis, Josephine Baker, Mahalia Jackson, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan (March on Washington). With no violence, only the presence of a large group of people and a miraculous speaker, Dr. King himself, the March on Washington made an everlasting impact on U.S. history. Dr. King is remembered for his inspirational outlook on the way life should be. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most influential people the United States of America has ever seen. He made such an essential impact by standing up for what he believed in and promoting nonviolence.
Without the efforts of the Civil Rights movement, many African Americans would face the same discriminatory practices once prevalent in American society. However, recently, a new wave of civil rights movements has emerged. One example is the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black Lives Matter movement is the new Civil Rights movement.This movement started in 2013 when Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old student, was murdered in cold blood by George Zimmerman. This case sparked many emotions because Trayvon was unarmed and not a threat to Zimmerman. Police brutality towards Black citizens has spiked in the last couple of years or at least its brutality has been brought to the public's attention through social media and technology. The Black Lives Matter movement has inspired people in all 50 states to hold some sort of vigil or march in honor of the fallen lives of unarmed African Americans. Since Trayvon Martin, there have been other cases similar to his that have received national coverage. For example, in Ferguson, Missouri, a grand jury declined to indict the police officer who shot unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown to death this summer and left his body in the street for four hours (Black Lives Matter). Cases like these help this peaceful campaign thrive. Some marches have turned loud, disruptive and passionate but remained nonviolent. This ongoing cause is extremely relevant and effective because it has captured nationwide attention and has had positive results. Twenty-four states have passed at least 40 new measures addressing such things as officer-worn cameras, training about racial bias, independent investigations when police use force and new limits on the flow of surplus military equipment to local law enforcement agencies (Black Lives Matter Gets). It also has gained the support of President Barack Obama. The Black Lives Matter movement is a nonviolent success because it primarily uses social media and other media outlets to slingshot their cause around the nation.
Nonviolence is just as effective as violence, if not more; however, the media doesn’t recognize these accomplishments.

Media plays a key role in the cogency of nonviolent actions. Although a select few of the demonstrations have turned into riots, they are not what Black Lives Matter stands for. Social media, television, the internet and other major news outlets have changed the way information is being perceived. When something is posted on the internet, it there for billions to see. Violent protests and actions have been a hot topic in the news lately; these “hot topics” steer the viewpoint of many. When one’s viewpoint is steered toward a negative direction in this, violence, one thinks that is the way to do it. Therefore, violence has been an easier way to resolve issues only because the media highlights as such. The Civil Rights movement was one of the first major televised social campaigns. 48 million Americans would watch the scene in their living rooms, and a few days later, Martin Luther King Jr. would lay bare the movement’s core media strategy. “We will no longer let them use their clubs on us in the dark corners,” he said. “We’re going to make them do it in the glaring light of television” (How Black Lives Matter). Since the Black Lives Matter movement originated as an internet hashtag and evolved into a national movement, the media helped bring this nonviolent enterprise recognition. As long as the media gives more attention towards nonviolent actions, their

effectiveness and relevance will increase dramatically. If major news outlets continue to broadcast violent actions, the public will think that the only way for them to be heard is through violence and that is not the case.
Nonviolent protests are a better way to express one’s opinions– whether it is to start an internet campaign or march halfway across the United States. Using violence is never the answer.
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said “I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream" (The Best 15). In spite of the difficulties the media poses for only reporting about violent actions and the frustrations of not feeling like one’s voice is not being heard, the outcome and respect of a nonviolent movement is worth all the buzz. Nonviolent movements are still effective and relevant to AMerican society and making a strong comeback today.