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Ms. Van Hill

Block: 2

24 November 2017

Disobedience

Without the rebellion, a highly successful country would never have been formed. Irish

author, Oscar Wilde believed that through disobedience social progress has been made and from

rebellion. Furthermore, disobedience brought not only to society change but to ethical

advancement and positive political responses. Disobedience isn't just a trait, but a valuable trait

which promotes social progress as seen in World and US History; World War I, Civil War,

Vietnam War etc.

Anti-war demonstrators protested the Vietnam War with a sit-in in October 1967. Sit ins were

an integral part of the non-violent strategy of civil disobedience. This had begun with the Civil

Rights Movement in 1960’s. African Americans would protest by sitting in tables where they

weren't allowed to sit and refused to move. “Four students from all black North Carolina College

walked into and sat on the lunch counters that strict whites-only policy.” This represents that

they had broken regulations and the law by sitting in an area where they knew they shouldn't

have been sitting. Hundreds of

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individuals were participating in the South. This movement led to desegregation, later the protest

had led to Robert Kennedy to end segregation for public and interstate travel. The sit-ins spread

across the country changing history.

If African Americans had never rebelled against laws, they would have never gained freedom.

Rosa Parks had refused to give her seat to a white man on the bus. Of course, because she was a

different color than them they arrested and incarcerated her. She was being disobedient by not

giving up her seat to a white man and was fighting against the Jim Crow Laws. Her trial for this

act of civil disobedience triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It was the largest and most

successful movements against racial segregation. No matter if they were mistreated they fought

for their rights.

Being disobedient doesn't mean being unethical. It means thinking for oneself and resisting

authority. In some cases, it is actually required to be disobedient in order to do the right thing. If

people let government and authorities have total control then it becomes a dictatorship. Being

disobedient and fighting for your rights helps improve society because you're doing something

that helps and benefits others that are in the same situation and taking a stand can change many

things.
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On the other hand, people might disagree and say that disobedience is a harmful trait that

stymies social progress because being disobedient can bring other dangerous consequences to

one another. This might be true but being disobedient to what's right brings people a step closer

in having freedom and unites individuals to make the worse out of something become the best

experience and situations. Therefore, disobedience is a valuable trait which promotes social

progress.