Civil Disobedience Prompt

The concept of civil disobedience is a driving philosophy behind everything from the civil rights movement to basic workers' rights, and Thoreau's essay illustrates how nonviolent protest is used to illuminate a specific issue and promote change. That essay, along with the writings of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez, illustrate how Americans in the psat have responded to political and social issues that have troubled them deeply. The authors of these texts advocated for acts of civil disobedience to address their pursuit of social justice.

With that context in mind, write an argumentative letter to the editor or a speech in which you take a position on a current issue faced by people or groups in your community or in our country. In addition, identify a call to action in the form of social action as a means of promoting your cause. Please note that the form of social action you advocate in your letter or speech should not result in the breaking of any laws. Advocacy that includes the breaking of the law is inappropriate in the education environment of public schools. It may also potentially trigger legal problems for you and those participating in the social action. There are many forms of social protest that do not involve the protesters in any illegal act. These forms of social protest might include (a) the distribution of documents that advocate for a particular change in educational, government, or work-place policy (b) public demonstrations against existing practices or laws viewed as acceptable, (c) sick-outs by employees in protest over working conditions, and (d) public meetings that included presentations on current issues of concern in a community. Provide information (quatotations) from one (or more) of the texts in this module and at least one other source to support your argument(s)