Civil Disobedience
Civil disobedience is the open, deliberate, nonviolent breaking of a law. When citizens resort to civil disobedience, it is usually because they believe a law is not valid because it was not created in a democratic way. People may resort to civil disobedience if they believe a law contradicts a higher moral principle or a religious belief. Civil disobedience may be practiced by individuals, small groups, or masses of people.
Civil disobedience may be practiced solely to avoid participating in activities believed to be wrong. It may be practiced as part of an organized campaign planned to achieve a specific objective, such as the repeal of a law. Civil disobedience has been widely practiced in the United States and in other countries. In our own time, civil disobedience has been used in the United States in the civil rights movement, the anti-Vietnam War movement, and the controversy over abortion rights.
Answer the following questions.
- Name some other situations where civil disobedience might be used.
- We live in a democracy that offers a number of opportunities to block or repeal offensive laws. Is civil disobedience still justified in some circumstances? Why?
- Should all citizens obey laws regardless of their content or purpose?
- Does the willful breaking of laws lead to social chaos?
- Would you participate in an act of civil disobedience? If so, under what circumstances? Would you be willing to go to jail for your beliefs?
Excerpted from Ready-to-Use Citizenship Activities by Fay Hansen.
