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Public participation in democracy
Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement
The role of Martin Luther King and other individuals in the civil rights struggle
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Peaceful resistance leads to the evolution of laws and the continued improvement of congress and legislation in a free society. By participating in peaceful resistance, citizens are perfectly capable of making their opinions known and enforcing change in a stagnant era. The people of the country cannot be ignored when being part of protests that lead to actions by the president, the prime minister, or any influencing officer to reach a compromise or simply listen to their requests. Without peaceful resistance, the people lose their voice in an overpowering society ruled by the wealthy and the powerful. In order for a free society to remain free and not become a totalitarian state, peaceful resistance is essential. The most famous acts of peaceful resistance took place during the mid-twentieth century. Martin Luther King Jr., sparked by Rosa Parks and her demonstration against a divided American country, perpetrated these acts. Rosa Parks’ most famous act against segregation was her refusal to obey the Jim Crow Laws, which declared her inferior to the white race. Martin Luther King continued this fight through rallies, conventions, marches, protests, and more. Their efforts led to the repeal of the offensive laws and segregation was dealt a deadly …show more content…
An example in this situation is the famous boxer, Muhammad Ali, who practiced the principle of non-aggression. He refused to comply with the draft during the Vietnam War but accepted the consequences of his actions. His refusal of the draft echoed the thoughts of many Americans during the Vietnam War, a war that many thought was pointless. By standing up for his opinion and withstanding the obstacles, the hatred, the disgrace, he became an idol of sorts. In seeing such an important person turn their back on a government policy, he gave confidence to the common
Martin Luther King, Jr. catapulted to fame when he came to the assistance of Rosa Parks, the Montgomery, Alabama Black seamstress who refused to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus to a White passenger. In those days American Blacks were confined to positions of second class citizenship by restrictive laws and customs. To break these laws would mean subjugation and humiliation by the police and the legal system. Beatings, imprisonment and sometimes death were waiting for those who defied the System.
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
Clarence Mai Mrs. Chaid ERWC 12 February, 2014 Peace Through Strength No matter how oxymoronic it seems, I strongly agree with the phrase “The only way to prepare for peace is to be prepared for war”. I feel that this relates back to the adage that “the best defense is a good offense”. For me, I view the Cold War as proof that the weapons of war can also be used as instruments of peace. To start off, one of the key ideas behind the tense, yet somewhat stable peace between the Soviet Union and the United States during the second half of the 20th century was the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction, or MAD.
(3) Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955): After the supreme court decided to end segregation, African Americans started to speak out more about their racial opinions. In Montgomery, Alabama, a bus boycott ended with a victory for the African Americans. The Supreme Court ruled that the Alabama segregation laws were unconstitutional. During the boycott a young African American Baptist minister, Martin Luther King, Jr. became well known. Throughout the long contest he advised African Americans to avoid violence no matter had badly provoked by whites. Rosa Parks tired of sitting in the back of the bus, and giving up her seat to white men. One weary day she refused to move from the front of the bus, and she became one of history's heroes in the Civil Rights Act movement.
When Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery in 1955, she engaged in one of the most iconic acts of civil disobedience in American history. She was arrested, and her nonviolent resistance of segregation laws led to the famous Montgomery bus boycott. Although many people hail Parks’ act of civil disobedience as one of courage and great importance, today the topic of civil disobedience is controversial. Some criticize this form of protest as a path to anarchy, and others say that it is not defiant enough. However, peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society because it can help marginalized groups, challenge immoral war, and combat harmful corporate interests.
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.
On December 1st, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in the front of a bus to a white man. It was this simple act of defiance that, arguably, began the Civil Rights movement which lasted from 1955 through the 1960’s and altered the face of our nation forever. Following the arrest of Rosa Parks for her simple denial, African Americans in Montgomery began boycotting the bus system, one of the first major stands against racism in the 1950’s. On the heels of the Brown v. Board of Education segregation trial which had ruled in favor of school integration, this boycott, which proved successful after the seat separation was removed, effectively began the civil rights movement with which we are now so familiar with. The civil rights movement in America aimed to gain civil liberties and rights which were guaranteed by law but withheld from them in society. While the movement lasted from about 1954 to 1968, it was not until the 1960’s that other minorities such as American Indians and women began to join the fight. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s was possibly the most important domestic social movement of the twentieth century. At the very least, it was the most important social confrontation to grip America since the Civil War.
While there were many significant events in the 1950’s, a movement in civil rights stands out the most in my mind. In America during the 1950’s there was a large disturbance and a great desire for African Americans to actually become Americans. Meaning that they could vote, not be segregated, and have all the other rights that other Americans had. While there are many great African Americans like Rosa Parks and attorney Thurgood Marshall that had a part in the civil rights movement of the 1950’s, Dr. Martin Luther King unarguably had the greatest impact. Dr. King felt that in order for the civil rights movement to be successful that, “We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline”. (Civil Rights Timeline, 2007) Based off this statement and belief, Dr. King lead many successful peace marches and even delivered the world famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If a man hasn't discove...
Henry David Thoreau’s work on civil disobedience in 1849 paved way for Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. His work stated that if you don’t like what is being done then don’t just say you want change be the change you want to see. In the case of Rosa Parks she didn’t find it right she had to sit in the back of the bus so she didn’t sit in the back. Then she was put into jail. After people heard about Rosa Parks they stood up and started protecting.
(Ansbro, 231) instead of promoting love and violence among all races. King’s purpose in promoting nonviolence direct action was to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiations. He felt that practicing nonviolence would portray his followers as moral beings while making apparent the brutality of the segregationists. King’s preaching of nonviolence was monumental in succeeding in demonstrations such as the Montgomery bus boycott and the desegregation of public schools. King’s reaching of nonviolent direct action furthers the arguments that King is the most influential person of the twentieth century.
After the war, Black Protests started to happen all over the country (Brown v Topeka, Montgomery Bus Boycott) sparking the real start of the Civil Rights movement. During the 50’s and 60’s one man helped improve the treatment of Black Americans using no violence whatsoever. Martin Luther King believed in non-violence, he said that this was not cowardly but that it was a method that did resist. King set up various sit-ins in and around southern states such as Georgia and Atlanta.
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
Martin Luther King Jr. had the idea of using nonviolent defiance to overcome injustice, and he never got tired of trying to end segregation laws.
Several other activist marched and protested to help discragate the south. One of the most well known activists was Martin Luther King Jr., who was a key element into created equality for all. Unlike other methods of protesting Dr. King, followed a more peaceful way of making a statement in which he learned from Gandhi. Dr. King led peaceful marches and spoke and spoke some of the most famous speeches in American history. Although he soon met his demise in Selma, Alabama but, his participatin and leadership impacted The U.S. forever.
Throughout history and in today's society, corrupt and overly-powerful governments are not uncommon. This raises the question: Is government more powerful than the people? My answer: Only if the people let it become so. Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society by bringing attention to issues and showing the government that the people seek change.