Have you ever committed an act of civil disobedience...besides vandalizing that mailbox when you were 15?

I skipped school and went downtown to march in an Anti-Viet Nam War demonstration – this would have been 1971 or so, because it was my senior year in high school.

It wasn’t a big deal because about half my school (very liberal suburb) skipped as well. My parents didn’t really care either.

Not since.

@elbanditoroso – You radical!

And what about now? If not organized protest, what would make you do some individual act to challenge authority?

Sadly, not much. The older I have gotten, the more cynical I have gotten. Over the last 50 years, I have observed that demonstrations and protest may make people feel good, but they seldom accomplish anything.

If you want to get something, you have to work the system (legislative, judicial, etc.).

I was way more idealistic in my teens and twenties.

I had the same experience as elbanditotorso. Went down to “The Drag” by UT Austin a few times to participate in anti war demonstrations. Until one of my more moronic buds lost track of the task at hand one afternoon and tried to hit on a college girl. I wasn’t involved in that episode, but she looked at all of us in utter contempt and told us to get back to nursery school. Shamed me to the depths of my soul, and I was innocent. But no repercussions from the demonstration and my parents never found out. A few people did get arrested though.

@Nomore_lockout – Sounds like you and elbanditoroso were both draft age males, responding to all the outrage caused by the Vietnam war.

So would it take something like that personal stake you felt then, to make you act now?

It would me. I don’t want to see my grand sons killed in a useless war on the other side of the world. And then suffer PTSD from the effects of coming home a thankless nation.
Soldiers don’t cause wars, politicians do.

@Nomore_lockout – Well said.

For Everyone -

One standard definition of Civil Disobedience is :

“The practice of breaking laws, usually in a non-violent way, as part of a protest because the laws are believed to be unfair or a violation of fundamental and inalienable human rights.

“An example of civil disobedience is when Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus where African Americans were supposed to sit prior to the civil rights movement.”

Laws like aren’t “civil” anyway. So I’d have no problem disobeying it.

@Nomore_lockout – ...Or even legal, sometimes.

I would gladly march, lie down in the street and block traffic, invade a government office, or other such civil disobedience to further LGBTQ rights. Happily!

I peed in public. More than once.

@kritiper – HooWah! I hope the right people were watching.

@Hawaii_Jake – Bi gurl says Yay!

(NSFW)
I refused to pay my student loan because I didn’t receive my much needed guaranteed mental health medications. I had a deal that I would not pay my student loans if I didn’t receive my medications, because I had an agreement to have my medication guaranteed in university.

I stopped paying my loans hoping to make a scene when brought to court.

Instead I was put on different medications and put on disability to pay for a basic income and medications.

(NSFW part)
I was hoping to whip my shit at the judge, or make a scene any way I could. I was hoping to join politics and make universities responsible for the outcome of all students. Instead of screw and dump acedemics business plans.

Universities should have a responsibility to students.

When I was at UC Berkeley in the fall of 1965, I marched (civilian style) against the Vietnam War in November and in December.

I protested against the first Iraq war in Febawary, 1991.

If the CA recall suckseeds and we get a “governor” who wants to rescind our mask and vax mandates, then I might get some pepper spray and join any protest for the mandates.

In a protest against urinals, I was clinging to the inside of a toilet bowl. Suddenly the pigs unleashed a torrent of urine, which abrubtly removed me from the porcelain and into the toilet water. That really pissed me off! :P

@RedDeerGuy – Sounds like the system broke the rules, not you.

@Brian1946 – With your experience you could be a role model. So…would you hold my hair the next time I’m “overthrowing” toilet access?

@JLoon

Sure thing. I’ll even wrap it into a CP3-style*, yard-high bun during your potty protest. ;-D

*Perhaps Marge Simpson-style would be more accurate. :P

@Brian1946 – Lol! Just not ready to go blue for ya ;)

<—- And yet I’ve already gone blue for you, @JLoon. <pouts>
Don’t worry, I’m not obsessed; I’m just severely cyanotic…because you’ve taken my breath away! :P

Love at foist site, Ms. Loon and Mr. Brian a romance for the Ages ; )

It could happen.
It’s almost as believable as the romance between Maria Sharapova and Homer Simpson. ;)

I spray painted Disco De Biene on my town’s Town Hall.

@rebbel – I hear they’re still looking for you ;)

@Brian1946, and @Nomore_lockout – Steady boys. We need to smash injustice first.

I jaywalk at times. But only when there is no traffic.

It isn’t civil disobedience if there is no traffic. It is opportunism.

To make a statement, you need to jaywalk with cars and trucks whizzing next to you.

@elbanditoroso I did that when I was 4. I made the traffic report on the radio.

You’re all so BADD!!

And I love you for it – But just for a minute think about what I was asking: Right now, where you live, to your knowlege, are there any laws or government actions that are so unfair and unjust that you believe people are being harmed or denied basic rights?

What would you do about it?

If you chose to committ civil disobedience, would you be willing to accept the penalty for breaking the law?

For example, in a number of US states partisan election laws have been passed which restrict or even criminalize some types of voter registration & support:
https://www.npr.org/2021/08/23/1030430564/new-laws-have-basically-ended-voter-registration-drives-in-some-parts-of-the-u-s

This includes signing up voters through volunteer groups in Kansas, or passing out drinking water to people in line outside polling places in Georgia. I plan on joining volunteers in every state I can to break these laws, and I don’t fucking care about jail or fines. Screw the corrupt political hacks who pass these shit statutes, and claim they’re “protecting” anyone.

But – Those are just my own DangerGurl ideas ;)

Same answer as I gave before. Where I live, demonstrations don’t mean a thing. Political clout – state legislature, courts, etc. is where change is actually made.

And to some degree – corporate pressure. Georgia is the home of several BIG companies – Delta airlines, Coca Cola, Kleenex, Home Depot, Georgia Pacific and several others. Corporate boycotts also appear to have effects on corporations pushing against stupid laws.

But walking down the street carrying signs? Dream on.

The Republicans want a one party dictatorship. Every law their legislators pass, introduce or push for, is only more proof. A law against handing out water?
The damn Communists aren’t even that draconian. The proof is in the pudding, as the proverbial wise man says.

I plead the fifth, and the second.

There is no law against handing out water. Nobody has even suggested it.

Politifact fact check If you don’t want to read the whole thing, here is the portion that pertains to handing out water in Georgia at poling places.
The law makes it a misdemeanor to give away food or water within 150 feet of the outer edge of a polling place building or within 25 feet of any voter in line. Violations of this law are punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. While people other than poll workers can give away food or water, they have to adhere to these boundaries to avoid breaking the law.

@Patty_Melt do your homework. There is in Georgia, thanks to the republican legislature.

No. They did not outlaw water. They outlawed using water to attempt intimidation of voters. That is a safety measure to prevent violence and other civil disobedience.
Hovering around voter lines touting a candidate is not conducive to fair elections.

“Hey little girl, you can have this bottle of primo water if you vote for my candidate.” Lol. It would take a hell of a lot more than a bottle of water to buy my vote. As a matter of fact, my vote cannot be bought.

So? That is one person.
They don’t write up bills for just you.

@Patty_Melt, and Everyone – Okay. Lets just try reading what the actual statute really says :

GEORGIA CODE TITLE 21:
ELECTION INTEGRITY ACT OF 2021

SECTION 33
Said Chapter is further amended by revising subsections (a) and (e) of Code Section 21–2-414, relating to restrictions on campaign activities and public opinion polling  within the vicinity of a polling place, cellular phone use prohibited, prohibition of candidates  from entering certain polling places, and penalty, as follows:

”(a) No person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any means or method, nor shall any person distribute or display any campaign material, nor shall any person give, offer to give, or participate in the giving of any money or gifts, including, but not limited to, food and drink, to an elector, nor shall any person solicit signatures for any petition, nor shall any  person, other than election officials discharging their duties, establish or set up any tables  or booths on any day in which ballots are being cast:

”(1) Within 150 feet of the outer edge of any building within which a polling place is  established;

”(2) Within any polling place; or

”(3) Within 25 feet of any voter standing in line to vote at any polling place.”

So what does this mean? This new section of the Georgia law is about prohibiting illegal campainging and other solicitation in or around places where people go to cast ballots. BUT by including ”...giving food or drink to an elector; Within 25 feet of any voter standing in line to vote at any polling place” it means that if I hand an ordinary bottle of water to someone who’s been standing in 90 degree heat for over an hour, its a crime. Even if I say nothing or do nothing to influence their choice, it’s punishable by up to a year behind bars, a fine of $1,000, or both.

I don’t care. I’m gonna do it anyway. Because not letting someone share water isn’t the worst thing laws like this do. If you’re poor, if you live in a rural area, if you’re elderly or handicapped, crap like this makes it harder to vote. No matter who’s side you’re on.

No way you people are this stupid. Water gets provided, not by any campaign.

Like I said, this is not stupidity. It is pure anti American socialist grooming.
I have somewhere better to be.

There is no such thing as “breaking laws in a non-violent way” here. If I had done things like you jellies have done, I wouldn’t even exist here on Fluther.

@Mimishu1995 – You’re living in Vietnam Mimi. And you’ve told us how oppressive your government is, and how intimidated you feel. This isn’t Vietnam.

@Patty_Melt – Then go there.

You start name calling and putting silly labels on people just because they disagree with you. You began your rant by claiming this part of the law didn’t even exist.

You were wrong. You’re still wrong.

Live with it.

I’ve cast my vote many times in the UK and never have I had to stand in line and wait. If queuing to vote ever became as common here as it seems to be in the US I would protest about it.

@flutherother long lines (and fewer voting places) is a republican anti-voting tactic to make it difficult for people to vote. Specifically targeted are people who work full day jobs who cannot easily get to the polling place before closing. Often, but not always, blacks and Hispanics.

The republican strategy is also to:
a) reduce pre-election advance voting days from several weeks to one week
b) reduce weekend advance voting hours
c) make it more difficult to acquire and then drop off absentee ballots

This is all a coordinated strategy.

@elbanditoroso Our polling stations open at 7:00am and don’t close until 10.00pm and we have lots of them. If anyone couldn’t vote because of long queues there would be outrage.

Republicans interest in freedom and Democracy only extends as far as their base having a right to run around and play with guns. That’s pretty much the extent of it.

@Patty_Melt Sounds more like Anti-American Fascist grooming from where I sit.

I burnt my Australian passport in India. Went to jail in India later for refusing to carry a passport and having no visa

@omtatsat – Serious stuff. When did they let you out?

Spent a year in jail

@omtatsat – An Indian jail?! Respect !

And what about your passport now?

@JLoon That was 30 years ago when the world was sane