Pros And Cons Of Civil Disobedience

Civil Disobedience: Justified Resistance
Should an instrument of God be subjected to the cruel punishment of his corrupt government? Should he obediently condone this gruesome treatment? Or rather than…should he consciously decide to take a stance against this maltreatment? For this creature has inherited the essence of his Creator’s benevolent and intuitive nature during his creation, he possesses the very strength to advocate his beliefs; the very wisdom to enlighten victims robbed of their wonder; and the very courage to construct a better society than the relentless reality that unravels before him. Any morally just citizen should support civil disobedience as retaliation against their tyrannical government.
If the people deem their

government as an oppressive power, the public should take the initiative to reform their country. Former civil rights activist Mahatma Gandhi once quoted, “In a non-violent conflict there is no ranchor left behind and, in the end, the enemies are converted into friends.” Speaking with regards to the power struggle between spiteful Hindu-Muslim controlled nations, Gandhi—who “confronted injustice with non-violence”— would advocate unification through means of peaceful protest. For instance, Gandhi pronounced he would fast in order to achieve reconciliation between these warring factions (or “a reunion of hearts of all communities”). Just as Gandhi arose to this challenge, we—dignified martyrs of God—should also follow suit. We should choose to alternate the fragile and ethic-robbed system that our society is, as, we should choose to alternate a government that voluntarily enforces this brand of society. Notorious author and transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau brilliantly depicts our government—which, arguably, has not changed over the course of our existence—as “(the) only mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, (and) is equally liable to be abused (by) the work of comparatively a few individuals using their standing government as their tool”. The people should rebel against their oppressive government as an initiative to reform their country.
Moreover, the people should peacefully repel any unjustifiable law that hinders the individual in society. Surely, America has implemented this format of legislation throughout the entirety of our existence. Shall we forget the very foundation our nation was created from? Our founding fathers preached about our natural rights to life, liberty, and property, yet...women and persons of color were denied these God-given rights! Alternatively, shouldn’t we protect our fellow brothers and sisters from the government through civil disobedience? For instance, civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. “had the courage and bravery to protest against discrimination and promote love” by organizing boycotts and preaching the Gospel despite the immeasurable odds pitied against him (Winston). Much like other historical insurgents, Martin Luther King Jr. believed in the spirit of civil disobedience: “An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arose the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.” Accordingly, we should rightfully establish the proper placement of those previously hindered in society. As Thoreau quotes, “If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go… if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the law.”