Progress Through Disobedience and Rebellion

It is evident that disobedience is part of human nature, therefore we have all disobeyed at least once in our lifetime. An Irish author, by the name, Oscar Wilde, stated that it is through disobedience and rebellion that progress has been made. Some continue to wonder if such thing as disobedience promotes or stymies social progress. Disobedience is a valuable trait which promotes social progress, as seen as in the American Revolution, Civil Rights movement, and the Women Rights movement.

In the late 1700s, American colonists decided to rebel against Britain due to the heavy taxes and the fact that they were not being represented by the British government. The unfair laws lead to revolutionary events like the Boston Tea Party, protests, and boycotts. These amongst other colonial actions were crucial to America’s future. The need for a better democracy motivated the colonists to fight for independence. In result of their disobedience, America became an independent country on July 4, 1776.

Similarly, Rosa Parks is exemplary to why disobeying the law can lead to a positive outcome. During the mid 1900s, many African Americans were boycotting for civil rights. In one occasion, a women by the name Rosa Parks, refused to give up her seat to a white men when riding on a Montgomery Cleveland Avenue bus. Although she was arrested immediately, her actions influenced others to protest and boycott. In result, Rosa Parks helped spark the Civil Rights movement among several other leaders despite their civil disobedience and rebellion.

Feminism has been an ongoing movement to advocate gender inequality. Throughout history, men have been superior to women in ways where they had more rights, freedom, and education. It wasn’t until the women’s suffrage movement of the 19th century, where women started to notice the disadvantages of being a women. They soon formed political campaigns and fought for their right to vote. Such movement inspired women to use civil disobedience to obtain their rights and strive for equality.

Some may disagree because disobedience may lead to war, violence, and chaos. However, without such reasonable behavior, society would have not changed for the better. If historical figures like Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, and Martin Luther King Jr. did not take initiative to disobey the law, we would still be facing segregation. Disobeying the law is necessary to a certain extent. For example, in situations where the law does not meet the expectations of society, people are forced to take action for their own good as seen in the previous examples.

In summary, disobedience opens the door for a better society when it is needed. For example, many historically events that have helped society in a positive way had to promote disobedience in order to spark progress and make a change. However, such actions should be justified in order to be effective to the world we live in today.

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