Civil disobedience is an appropriate weapon in the fight for justice

"Must the citizen ever for a moment or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience, then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. I t is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right… Law never made men a whit more just; and, by means of their respect for it, even the well disposed are daily made the agents of injustice." Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience "The government promises to protect my safety, and in return, I promise to obey the laws of the government. Of course, at some point, the government will break its side of the deal. For example, the fact that the even after the abolition of slavery, racism was allowed in government policies. This however does not justify one in breaking their part of the contract. Two wrongs do not make a right." This is true that the government promises certain things to its citizens, and in return the citizens obey the just laws that are being provided. But it is absurd to think that when a government breaks its side of the contract that the citizen has to keep its side. For example, you make a contract with your landlord that he will mow your lawn and in return you will pay him 35 dollars a month. At the end of the month your lawn has not been mowed then do you still have to pay your landlord 35 dollars? No, that would be crazy. In regard to Women's Suffrage Movement.-"This is not civil disobedience, as they are not breaking laws. This is off topic." Yes it was civil disobedience. An example occurred in 1872 when Susan B. Anthony and fourteen other women registered and voted in Rochester, New York. They were accused and charged with a crime "of voting without the lawful right to vote." Disobeying a law in a non-violent manner= civil disobedience. "These people are violating their contract by breaking the law, and furthermore they disrupt order. Also, they are ignorant. The government, which has access to secret data, can recognize the need to have cruise missiles. Disrupting this could easily lead to a national security crisis." It led to the demise of the Warsaw Pact and marked the end of the cold war when the INF treaty was signed. Don't we all agree that this was a good thing? In regard to Mary Beth and John Tinker- "This action was not civil disobedience. They were not breaking any legitimate law. The rules against the armbands had no authority, and therefore, breaking them is not civil disobedience." Yes they were breaking a policy set by the school and were suspended for that action of wearing the armbands. This then brought attention to the issue and then made the school policy change by a ruling of the Supreme Court, civil disobedience. "Also, studies have shown that civil disobedience can alienate more moderate sympathizers with a cause who will view such actions as extremist." I would like to see these studies. I will use another example of civil disobedience that has changed the course of a country. Mohandas Gandhi used civil disobedience to gain Indian independence through the Salt March and other acts of disregard for unjust laws. Now to my opponent Thank you