Civil+Disobedience+and+Good+Citizenship

Being a good citizen means being somewhat //active// in your //daily// life, by opening the door for someone, by making a stressed waiters day with a respectable tip, and not littering. But it also requires being //active// in other more socially conscious ways like political participation and using civil disobedience if necessary.

Civil disobedience or passive resistance was used by civil rights activists to win equal application of the law (14th Amendment). They fought to end segregation, voting discrimination and targeted acts of violence. These same tools were used by the labor movements for workers rights before that. These ideas lent to wins for women’s suffrage, other minorities, and gays in the future. But the idea of resistance is not new, many of our founding fathers and forward thinking intellectuals advocated these acts as a citizen’s right and responsibility. Although these acts of resistance progressed to a full on revolution we all would wouldn’t be citizens of America without them.

Civil disobedience has been used again and again over time because one basic thing hasn’t changed, According to Fredrik Bendz, “the basis for civil disobedience is to resist an unrighteous power. If the people don't obey the rulers, if labourers lay down their work, if drivers block the roads, etc, it will become impossible for the government to rule the country.” (1)

The idea of being a good citizen can’t be answered easily because it can mean very different things because we are all very different people, with different life experiences and priorities. If good is a moral issue, acts seen as ‘good’ to an Evangelist would be considered intolerant to a Unitarian. So it’s not about following the social norms or laws at the time, but by actively working to move them in a more positive direction for all citizens of the world.

The founding fathers are some of the best and most influential good citizens in American history. They are great examples of good and influential American citizens. Reading the literature and philosophies of people like Thomas Jefferson, John Locks, James Madison, etc gives a good framework for showing how playing an active role in society makes a good citizen. It requires a passion for some cause that is important to you, political literacy, governmental involvement, and respect for others with differing views (the respect should be mutual). These traits are all healthy for expanding your mind and your life. And these all these traits are connected with civil disobedience. The more educated and active a society, the better that society becomes.

Ideals of theirs that still shape American culture are democracy in the activity of self-governance. This requires simple acts of political participation and voting that only a small percentage of Americans actually do (2004 was considered a high voter turnout with 59, still not very impressive). We have been becoming more and more self interested, something that Madison feared is ‘so severe that the fabric of American political life is threatened. Democracy can’t sustain here if citizens are disengaged with their government. The pluralist theory, one of Madison’s beliefs, says that American views are represented in government through membership and support of various groups. But group membership would be seemingly meaningless without some kind of group participation.

Interest groups have the power to directly lobby Congress for change, but only individuals have the power to lobby indirectly by protesting, starting grassroots movements, and using civil disobedience. “While social protest may have the same objective as other types of indirect lobbying…demonstrations and spontaneous protests also aim to draw in citizens who have not yet formed an opinion or to change the minds of those who have. Such actions may turn a political action into a mass movement, attracting formerly passive or uninterested consumers.”(5)

It now takes less effort than ever the age of unconventional social protest and media coverage on the internet and news (nobody said it was quality and fair coverage) to become a part of a movement. This kind of participation helps keep politicians accountable, helps educate and represent the public, and helps inspire change through influencing the government. Civil disobedience is a great equalizer when policies at the time only represent views of the majority. The underdog can’t compete with the money, connections and established resources of the powerful influences, but turn the tables by getting mobilizing popular support and wide news coverage.

Refrences: <span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msobidithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msofareastthemefont: minor-latin; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin; msolist: Ignore;"> 1.  Fredrik Bend __Civil Disobedience__ 05 February 2005. 25 October 2009. < [] > <span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msobidithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msofareastthemefont: minor-latin; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin; msolist: Ignore;"> 2.  Censure and Move On (news release), 15 October 1998. 25 October 26, 2009 < [|www.move] on.org > <span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msobidithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msofareastthemefont: minor-latin; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin; msolist: Ignore;"> 3. Linda Greenhouse, “Supreme Court Roundup; Justices Extend Decision on Fay rights and Equality,” //New York Times// Page A10. 28 June 2003. 25 October 2009. <span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msobidithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msofareastthemefont: minor-latin; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin; msolist: Ignore;"> 4.  [|Resources on Civil Disobedience and Nonviolent Struggle] Topic and Discussion on Facebook <span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msobidithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msofareastthemefont: minor-latin; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msohansithemefont: minor-latin; msolist: Ignore;"> 5. Christine Barbour and Gerald Wright, //Keeping the Republic//, 2008, 3rd Brief Edition