How should a good american embrace the value of civil disobedience?

How about Jefferson?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

“dam the torpedo’s full steam ahead”
-David Glasgow Farragut

Essay assignment for school?

@Jeruba – No the question came up in discussion during school, very controversial. I wanted to get to the bottem of the answer

We must be the change we wish to see in the world. – Gandhi

A wonderful story about Gandhi:

He was speaking before a large group of people about the importance of passive resistance, when a local thug walked straight down the aisle, and grabbed Gandhi by his throat. There, he choked the Mahatma, and Gandhi did nothing to resist.
The man suddenly released him, and fell to his knees, crying.

——This became a rant with no real answers.——

I think it’s a difficult question. Civil disobedience is the definition for breaking the law, when the law is morally questioned. I think it in turn spurs a lot of questions, not easily answered.

Is civil disobedience a democratic right? Who makes the decision that it’s morally right to dissent? What or whose moral justifies it?

Should you always respect and obey the law? Shouldn’t we all question the laws at all time? As the world changes, so does the legitimacy of preexistent laws.

Can civil disobedience be justified in a working democracy? Is civil disobedience a sign that a democracy is not working?

What is the difference between civil disobedience and civil disorder? Where are the lines drawn between civil unrest, revolt and revolution? Being non-violent actions of activism, is it morally justified to break in and destroy weapon mounts on jet fighters on an airbase? Would it be wrong for gay couples in Maine refuse to pay taxes? Was it wrong for draftees to refuse service during the vietnam war?

Who is the Rosa Parks of our time, and how do we recognize her?

I read Thoreau in school. His writings bolstered the Abolitionist movement of the 19th century. He was against paying taxes to a system that kept people in bondage and fought wars of conquest, such as the Mexican-American War. He felt a person has a right and an obligation to follow their consciences.

Gandhi and King were deeply influenced by him. You can read his essay here.

Civil disobedience requires mass support, most Americans are overfed and drousy particularly this time of year. Until those conditions begin to degenerate, civil disobedience looks like more like a one man mission by the mildly bemused or cynical general public. People have misconceptions of Gandhi and his legacy is exploited by the liberals of all political pursuasions to nullify any radical who doesn’t compare favourably with the Saintly qualities of Gandhi, Jesus and so forth.

Civil disobedience requires mass support, most Americans are overfed and drousy particularly this time of year. Until those conditions begin to degenerate, civil disobedience looks like more like a one man mission by the mildly bemused or cynical general public. People have misconceptions of Gandhi and his legacy is exploited by the liberals of all political pursuasions to nullify any radical who doesn’t compare favourably with the Saintly qualities of Gandhi, Jesus and so forth. Put that in your essay.

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

- Martin Luther King Jr.

Provoke without using violence.