...following: What effect do these devices or use of language have on the audience? How do these devices or use of language help communicate the speaker’s purpose? How effective are these devices and use of language in communicating the speaker’s purpose? Include specific details from the text. Two pages minimum. (Double spaced, Times New Roman, 12) *If you create a SOAPSTone chart, turn it in with your essay. Civil Disobedience Essay Henry David Thoreau, an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax...
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...Lloyd Wyse Melissa Hull EN 209-014 April 18, 2012 Critical Essay: Civil Disobedience Civil disobedience is the active refusal to comply with certain laws or demands of a government, such as paying fines or taxes. Although it is not necessarily on-violent, it has classically been attributed to nonviolent resistance. The etymological origin of the term is from Henry David Thoreau’s essay Resistance to Government, written in 1849, which was eventually renamed to Essay on Civil Disobedience. Since its republication in 1866, Thoreau’s essay has inspired many important activists over the course of history. Its messages have resonated within countless people unsatisfied or disgusted with the law of the land; one of the most prominent lessons it teaches is that an unjust government can only be corrected by the defiance of its people. As long as there is an imperfect government, there will be a need for civil disobedience. Citizens of nations from all over the globe still read and learn from Civil Disobedience because even in modern times a perfect government does not exist. In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau prompts the reader to take direct action against injustice. He argues that the government is a representative of corruption and injustice that, like a machine, fuels the enabling of its wrongdoings through enforcement of law. He states that an individual’s silent compliance with the law is essentially the same as cooperation with injustices that the lawmaker commits. In particular...
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...Henry David Thoreau’s essay titled Civil Disobedience consisted of him proposing revolutionary ways of looking at our moral obligations as Americans. This thesis is supported by three contentions. First, while the traditional views of government involved expanding it, Thoreau believed in limiting it. Second, as more American citizens became involved in the Mexican-American War, Thoreau criticized the supporters and those involved in the war, as well as those who opposed but did not speak out against it. Finally, as support for the continuation of slavery grew, Thoreau not only refused to sustain it, he vehemently damned any use of it. First, while the tradition views of the government involved the expansion of it, Thoreau believed in the...
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...his marches. So after reading “The Letter from the Birmingham Jail”, I felt compelled to delve a little more into this controversial figure. I knew that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a champion to the civil rights movement. What caught me by surprise was that this was a role thrust unto him. Dr. King came from a family of preachers but struggled with the idea himself. He knew he wanted to help his people but felt that being a lawyer or a doctor would best serve them. But under the guidance of several teachers, he realized that he was denying his true calling – the ministry. So at seventeen he became a minister. And it was as assistant pastor in his father church he honed his preaching skills and became know an excellent orator. Dr. King was also political involved having founded the Southern Christina Leadership Conference whose first purpose was to register black voters. So because of his political affiliations and speaking skills he was the one tapped when the civil right movement needed an effective leader. Dr. King had come to Birmingham to answer a call to arms for a recent bombing of one of his aides. Birmingham had long been an epitome of racial divide; Dr. King went there to shed light on the city. Upon reaching the city Dr. King was jail for civil disobedience. And while incarcerated a newspaper ad was taken out by some fellow clergymen who felt his presence in their state was unwarranted. He felt compelled to answer it. He let them the oppressed won’t stay oppressed...
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...country, the United States and around the world. This paper will discuss one of our well known world leaders and a well-known American Leader and the significant impact these individuals had on society and political changes. b. Thesis statement: History shows how leaders impact the outcomes and development of cultures and society due to social and political changes and influences. c. Preview of Main Points: i. World leader Gandhi led to Satyagraha and the equal rights for all. ii. Martin Luther King Jr. contributed to the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. II. Gandhi’s contribution to social changes. a. One of the worlds most pronounced leaders of the twentieth century. b. Concept of Satyagraha, truth and firmness (Mohandas Gandhi). c. Indian Independence from Britain in 1947. III. Martin Luther King Jr.’s contribution to the social changes made in the United States. a. King traveled the Country and the world to lecture other leaders, activists, and protestors on the importance, how to, and benefits on non-violent protesting. b. Civil Rights Act prohibiting racial discrimination (History.com) c. Voting Rights Act guaranteeing the right to vote to all African Americans (History.com). IV. Conclusion a. Restatement of thesis: History shows how leaders impact the outcomes and development of cultures and society due to social and political changes and influences. b. Summary of main points: i. Gandhi led to the concept of Satyagraha and the equal...
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...Thesis Statement: Henry David Thoreau is one of the pioneers of Transcendentalism, and his famous work, Civil Disobedience has great effect on Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology and movement which drives the India for independence. Outline 1. Introduction 1. Brief introduction of Henry David Thoreau 2. Brief introduction of Mahatma Gandhi 2. Writing background and cores of Civil Disobedience 2.1 Writing background 2.2 Cores of Civil Disobedience 2.2.1 Conscience of human 2.2.2 Effect of morality 2.2.3 Suspicion of American’s democracy 2.3.4 In-cooperation with government 3. Embodiment on Mahatma Gandhi 3.1 Effect on Gandhi’s ideology 3.1.1 Works of Gandhi 3.1.2 Speeches of Gandhi 3.2 Effect on Gandhi’s movement 3.2.1 Gandhi in South Africa 3.2.2 Gandhi in India 4. Conclusion 1. Introduction 1.1 Brief introduction of Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was one of the most famous writers, naturalist, philosophers, abolitionists, and the pioneers of Transcendentalism in America in 19 century. He was born in Concord, Massachusetts, 1817. Thoreau met Ralph Waldo Emerson when he studied in university. And he was deeply influenced by Emerson who advocated that man should be true to himself and close to nature. Emerson was not only a friend but also a teacher to Thoreau. They had edited the journal Sundial together. Thoreau graduated from Harvard College in 1837 and worked as...
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...- 2 – The LD File Civil Disobedience Index Topic Overview 3-7 Definitions 8-10 Affirmative Cases 11-19 Negative Cases 20-25 Affirmative Extensions 26-34 Civil disobedience worked to free India. 26 Civil disobedience overthrew the communists in Poland. 26 The tradition of civil disobedience in America goes all the way back to the founders. 26 Civil disobedience can serve to prevent situations from escalating into violence. 27 Civil Disobedience has been used to promote peace. 27 Civil disobedience was used to promote racial equality. 27 Civil disobedience is used to try to prevent the destruction of the environment. 27 Civil disobedience is effective at changing the law. 28 Legal channels can take too long. 28 Consent to obey just laws does not imply consent to obey unjust ones. 28 Distinguishing between just and unjust laws to disobey can be universalized. 28 Civil disobedience can be stabilizing to a community by spreading a shared sense of justice. 29 Sometimes it is only the unjustified response to civil disobedience that has harmful consequence. 29 Civil disobedience is traditionally non-violent. 29 Civil disobedience is a form of exercising free speech- which is essential in a democracy. 30 Civil disobedience has been used to fight slave laws 30 Civil disobedience played a role in ending the Vietnam war. 30 Civil disobedience shouldn’t be punished-...
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...In the essay “Letter from Birmingham jail”, written by Martin Luther King Jr., was written to eight clergy men, doing a non-violent protest ,encourage those against segregation, trying to convince that he is right and change needed to occur. Throughout the letter Martin Luther King Jr. appeal to reason, emotion, and character. When he starts his letter he says, “MY DEAR FELLOW CLERGYMEN” (72). He starts his letter right away, appealing to character. With this being said, he sounds like he wants to do a nonviolent protest against them, but he wants his voice to be heard, but not violently. He used clever words to start off the letter. He doesn’t separate blacks from whites, showing that they both are the same, no discrimination, and no segregation. He wanted everyone to be treated equally. He was against the fact that everyone was racist in Birmingham. Another quote to support his character is when he said “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.” In this quote he is describing the role he plays in the religious community. With this being said, it shows that he is equal with the eight clergymen and can share of sort of relationship with them. His desire is to stop injustice, showing credibility with the white...
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...Kevin Eberle Professor Cox English Comp October 17, 2011 Occupy Wall Street Movement: There is a growing movement in the United States that started in New York City and is now spreading out to many other cities It is the Occupy Wall Street Movement. The first people that came to this movement were some punks, liberals, artists and socialists. They did not just come for a one day protest they came again and again. Then other people began to take notice and the movement has been doubling in size every three days since mid September. Now there are young people, middle age and retirees, the employed and the unemployed just to name a few. How this movement has differed from other protests in the past for example, those against the Vietnam War in the 1960’s, the protestors are not just unruly mobs of young people fighting for one cause. Instead it is people with several different yet similar grievances. Contrary to the idea of Occupy Wall Street just being comprised of young people we now see that the younger element has sometimes been the majority. In this movement we see a diversity of people, varying ages, life situations, and grievances. Some are first time protestors. There are a few common denominators of the protestors but the most outstanding seems to be about economic injustice and the corporate influence on our government. Because the middle class are tired of the corporate injustices they have now come to rally for justice. It is interesting how this movement...
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...Amanda Lomas English 99 January 24, 2013 Effective Persuasion In the letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” written by Martin Luther King, Jr., was written while king was in jail for being a part of the Birmingham Campaign, which was a non-violent protest to end segregation in the U.S. In the letter, King explain that he is disappointed in the clergy for attacking the members of the African American non-violent civil rights movement and that direct action is the only thing left for them to do. He goes on to say that he hopes “the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away.” In this letter, King has a very effective argument by using several different persuasive appeals. One persuasive appeal that King uses is called ethos. Ethos refers to the credibility and trustworthiness of the writer or speaker and can often be supported through style of the message and tone. Throughout the whole letter, King has a very even tone. At the beginning of the letter, he calmly explains why he is in jail and is not angry or mad and goes on to explain the four steps to his direct action. Having a calm approach like King shows in this letter makes the reader more inclined to listen rather than having a threatening or aggressive tone. Although he calmly explains himself at the beginning of the letter, King also has the right amount of firmness towards the middle of letter to make the reader believe that what he is saying to true. Towards the end of the letter King apologizes for...
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...05/13/ 2013 If I had a dream…. There would not only be peace in the Middle East, but around the world as well. America would no longer have to battle terrorist cells and other such evils in or outside of America. It would be like every day on the news we would hear only about the positive, and not news we're hearing how rampant violence is in our communities, both here in America and around the world. There is so much going on for a better world all around us that the mainstream media never shares with us. What actions can we take as a nation to make this dream come true? We can create harmonious relationships with our family, friends, coworkers and community members. We all can learn how to forgive people who have harmed you in the past. Everyone can learn how to forgive yourself for harm you have inflicted on others. Also we can heal painful wounds within you, family, community and nation. We can work on always being honest. We all can help protect the earth and teach peace to children. We can teach non-violence by example. We all can be leaders in the struggle for human decency. We all can respect the dignity of each person. We can express your views on peace to government officials. We can change a potential enemy into a friend. Everyone can help someone and be more loving and fair. Everyone can commit themselves to nonviolence, support nonviolent solutions to global issues. Everyone can speak out for a nuclear-free world. What actions can...
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...Violence is the only effective weapon available to the people who are oppressed. How far do you agree or disagree? I personally do not agree that violence is the only effective weapon available to the oppressed people. It is not the only way for people to get their view across or secure their rights and justice. However, throughout the history of mankind, violence has been widely used as a method to gain control over a person or a group of people or a nation. Unfortunately, the present day media is also filled with news of violence. What exactly is violence? Violence can be described as an act of intentional harm to some individual or group. Violence can be physical, mental or sometimes even emotional. It disturbs peace and harmony in the society and slows down the overall development. Securing ownership over land and resources, power hungry leadership, extremism, racism, sociocultural differences, ethnic and caste conflicts are causes of violence. For example, the violence between the Indians and the Pakistanis over the land of Kashmir is motivated by the desire of securing land and resources. The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is driven by religious differences and extremism. There are constant fights between different tribes in many parts of Africa. These African tribal conflicts are usually motivated by ethnic and caste differences. Centuries prolonged conflicts between the "blacks" and the "whites" were the results of racism. There are still residues...
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...TomMendez Hacktivism and Civil Disobedience Hacktivism, though preferred by hackers and hacktivists to be kept without a definition, is generally thought of as hacking for a political cause. Hackers, those who have deep knowledge and understanding of the Internet and computer systems and networks, thrive on the openness and freedom the internet provides. Steven Levy’s “Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution” published nearly three decades ago outlines the hacker’s creeds: 1. Access to computers should be unlimited and total. 2. All information should be free. 3. Mistrust authority – promote decentralization. 4. Hackers should be judged by their hacking not bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race, or position. 5. You create art and beauty on a computer. 6. Computers can change your life for the better. The operating system Linux, still widely used today, was created to conform to this ethical code. Linux pioneer Richard Stallman with the help of Linus Torvalds developed the GNU/Linux operating system. The software was made available under the General Public License, nicknamed “copyleft” (as opposed to copyright), meaning that the software was free to have and modify for anyone so long as users make the source freely available to others. This has created an open global community that “thrives on the free flow and sharing of information” (metac0m 1). Metac0m, the editor of The Hacktivist Magazine tells us “Hackers abhor censorship. Censorship...
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...Pro Civil Disobedience Civil disobedience is a righteous way for a person or a group to make their point to the world. Great leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Dr. MLK) and Mohandas K. Gandhi (Gandhi) harnessed the idea and brought it to its prominence. Civil disobedience in its purest form is a particularly strong concept because it requires a self-purification process. This process enlightens civil resisters to the reality of longsuffering for a cause without any type of retaliation. Also, there are arguments against civil disobedience. One such argument is “wait” because change will come. Another is that civil disobedience precipitates violence. These arguments are extremely weak. Because of these weak arguments along with the strong concept of self-purification, I am a proponent of civil disobedience. Dr. MLK was a firm believer in the self-purification process. In Letter from Birmingham Jail, he speaks of undertaking a process of self-purification. “We began a series of workshops on nonviolence and we repeatedly asked ourselves: ‘Are you able to accept blows without retaliation?’ ‘Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail (King 158)?’” Dr. MLK knew that in order to appeal to the public, they must endure the punishment without retaliation. This is explained when he says, “Laying out our case before the conscience of the local and national community (King 158).” Dr. MLK had a grasp on the notion that if his people were to become violent, they...
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...Civil Rights Movement Since 1845, African Americans have struggled to find equal rights in America. Thus, African Americas have a long history of activism in America, from fighting for the right to vote to pushing for integration in public places. Activists like Stokley Carmichael organized the freedom rides, James Meredith fought to integrate blacks and whites at the University of Mississippi, and Rosa Parks instigated the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Although these protests were often legal and non-violent, the protests made a powerful impact on civil rights in the United States. With the bravery and help of activist like Carmichael, Meredith, Parks and many others, the country slowly worked to acknowledge the basic rights and contributions of African-Americans within the United States. Through it all, African American civil rights leaders risked and sometimes lost their lives in the name of freedom to end segregation, discrimination and isolation to attain equality and civil rights. With civil rights activists leading the fight for racial equality, America slowly but surely became a better place. Through the protests, marches, sit-ins and news articles; African Americans showed there was more ways to attain freedom and equality as opposed to violence. Even before Rosa Parks, on Sunday July 16, 1854, Elizabeth Jennings Graham boarded a street car of the Third Avenue railroad company at the corner of Pearl and Chatham streets. The conductor of the train ordered her to...
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