The Value of Civil Disobedience ?

[gabriel]

[NOTICE: Please NO pointless ranting]

I'm not going to say too much yet, so as not to slant the conversation too much. But with the repeated and large die in's and disruptions of "business as usual" in cities across this country, I'm forced to think about where/when/if civil disobedience has value. The point was made about sit-in's and bus boycott's in the 60's and the value they had. But is that only so because how directly tied those actions were to the state-funded action being protested? Or is there value in civil disobedience by virtue of it drawing attention to a particular issue? Does it raise awareness, or is it instead alienating?

[C hristian]

I think that there are 2 kinds of people in the world, and actually, only 1 kind. I think we all have a fundimental need to seek and need the "truth". That is a universal human need, in my belief. Now you say, yeah, well some people certainly don't want the truth, they wanna live being thier ignorant blissful selves. But I say that that is bull. Yeah, they may want to do that to a certain extent, and at a certain point in their lives, but if you caught them when they were all nature and no nurture, when they were new to the world, they all sought the truth. People are naturally curious, naturally social beings. Unless they learned to bury thier head in the sand, and that's just it. It is a learned behavior.

So when one sees civil disobedience, the natural tendency is to stop and find out what all the hubub is about. The learned response, is a selfish me-oriented response.

So i see it as a good thing. Maybe I should be thier paid volunteer...those civil rights guyzzz.

[C hristian]

me = no sleep = no brain = bad post.
you = understand

[f0reverneverm0re]

Originally posted by C hristian:
me = no sleep = no brain = bad post.
you = understand me = no argument here (place optional "j/k" smilie here)

[ March 30, 2003, 12:21 PM: Message edited by: f0reverneverm0re ]

[melodic]

Or is there value in civil disobedience by virtue of it drawing attention to a particular issue? Does it raise awareness, or is it instead alienating?

as Henry David Thoreau

[mdpm99]

graemlins/grinyes.gif

Peace on Earth

d

Ps. You also meet some of the most interesting folks at these events!

[jillbee]

I think if it's happening, maybe it's what needs to happen. If there is discussion, protest, questioning of how things are working, then perhaps, things need to be reevaluated. There will always be opposition to any spoken beliefs, that just causes thought and perhaps awakening. It may or may not change what's happening but at the very least it will stimulate something and allow voices to be heard to some extent. When you participate in a protest, it is awesome to be with a community of people who stand for similar things that you do. It's inspiring and energizing to have your presence or position on an issue known (even if it may be reported only partially). Maybe that epiphany is small or individual but it still has an effect.

I can't believe or subscribe to the idea that participation in protests does not make a difference, because it did not stop the war from happening... maybe only one or maybe a hundred were moved to participate or speak their minds from seeing others doing the same. Perhaps this is a bit naive or optimistic. But, I know one thing, if everyone believed it was negative or that it did not make a difference, there would be no chance of change at all.

peace.