Resolved: In a democracy, civil disobedience is an appropriate weapon in the fight for justice.

okay, so i am just posting a very basic version of my case that i am running saturday at my school's "home" tournament. i look forward to possibly using this debate to strengthen my actual cases. and good luck to my opponent, whoever that will be. Definitions Democracy: Democracy refers to a system of government which derives its power from the consent of the majority and governs according to the will of the majority. Civil Disobedience: Civil disobedience is the active refusal to obey certain laws, demands and commands, or intentions of a government or of an occupying power. Appropriate: Proper or suitable for a particular person or place or condition. Justice: The upholding of what is just, especially fair treatment and due reward in accordance with honor, standards, or law. Just: A confrontation between opposing groups in which each attempts to harm or gain power over the other, as with bodily force or weapons. Fight: purposeful violent conflict intended to establish dominance over the opposition. 1.Civil Disobedience (CD) leads to and justifies violence 2.Justification defeats the purpose of civil disobedience a. CD fosters disrespect for the law in general b....forgot... 3. Civil disobedience leads to polarization 1. Civil disobedience leads to and JUSTIFIES violence Civil disobedience frequently leads to violence on the part of at least one party involved, be it the government or the advocates breaking the law. The disobedience may spark violent government retaliation. Myanmar example. Violence could even occur on the advocate's part if met with government backlash. Or the advocates may resort to violence. While generally the intentions of civil disobedience are non-violent, once the campaign is started it is out of the hands of the originators. Others may commit violent acts in the name of civil disobedience. Or the originators may simply resort to violence. 2. Justification defeats the purpose of civil disobedience a. CD fosters disrespect for the law in general. b. still don't remember... a.Civil disobedience will foster disrespect for the law in general. If civil disobedience is justified instead of condemned, citizens could draw the conclusion that breaking the law is okay if they disagree with it. This illusion could become a reality if citizens consistently disobey laws because they do not agree with them. Not only does this render the government advocates are addressing powerless, but it makes it nearly impossible to attract the public's attention. If people break the law consistently because they don't like it, then disobedience becomes the norm, even if it truly has a worthy cause behind it. Thus justifying civil disobedience defeats its purpose. 3. Civil disobedience leads to polarization If a CD campaign for any reason fails to reach and convince its audience, it can be dangerous to the cause. A failed or even poorly executed CD campaign can cause the public and the government to increase hostility to the cause, which only creates an obstacle for the cause. The moral re-evaluation that advocates seek from the majority is then much harder to come by.