Nonviolent Civil Disobedience

Nonviolent Civil Disobedience may not always be the most favored approach to bringing about social change, but in recent history, it has been the most effective. The most effective ways to bring about social change has always been one of the most difficult. Not responding when one is being attacked goes completely against human nature and makes nonviolent revolutions some of the hardest, but also some of the most influential types of protests. Nonviolent revolutions are some of the most influential because they demand a response and do not give a reason for a violent response. In the end, peaceful resistances most often leave a positive impact on a free society as shown through the actions and words of nonviolent political activists, Mahatma

Ghandi’s idea of nonviolence was that it forced the some sort of response, but did so in a peaceful way. He said that “Non-violence implies voluntary submission to the penalty for noncooperation with evil” (Non-Violence is the First Article of my Faith, Ghandi). Nonviolent protests forced the oppressors, the British, to understand what they were doing wrong. One key element of Ghandi’s ideology was that everyone should know the truth. Ghandi believed that everyone should protest against the British, but do so in a peaceful way. Because these protests were peaceful, it allowed everyone to join in. Everyone can be included in nonviolent protests, not just people willing to fight and die. He shows his true beliefs when he said “We have to make truth and non-violence not matters for mere individual practice but for practice by groups and communities and nations. That, at any rate, is my dream” (The Mind of Mahatma Ghandi,p 35, Ghandi). Ghandi’s practices and believes led to the freedom of the Indian people. This positive impact clearly shows how the characteristics of a nonviolent revolution make it a much better alternative to a violent revolution which often leaves countries in a harmful state of

was another political activist who used nonviolence as a tool to spark a massive social change in the United States. King was a big supporter of Ghandi’s beliefs, so he held his own protests similarly. King also believed in peaceful protests which he used to create an unignorable opposition to the current status of African American rights. Even though not retaliating when being attacked goes against human nature, King says that “Mindful of the difficulties involved, we decided to undertake a process of self purification. We began a series of workshops on nonviolence, and we repeatedly asked ourselves: ‘Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?’ ‘Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail?’” (A Letter from Birmingham Jail, King). King understood that he was asking for a very hard task, but it led to a very positive impact on society. He believed that nonviolence was required for a society to adapt and change as a whole. He said “I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth” (A Letter from Birmingham Jail, King). In order for a society to change, a nonviolent tension had to be present and King created this nonviolent tension with sit in and boycotts around the South. These peaceful resistances led to equal rights for all African Americans. This positive impact on society is a clear representation on how nonviolent protests were more effective than violent