✦ “I was not born to be forced. You breathe in my own way.” Civil Disobedience ~ Duty and Debt

The civil disobedience is the denial of one or more people towards compliance with certain laws, requirements and mandates of Government, or an occupying power, without resorting to physical violence.

The roots of this theory can be traced in "Antigone", who buries her brother despite the prohibition of Creon, because it requires the consciousness of. The theory, however, was formed in the 19th century by the American Henry David Thoreau and his essay "Civil Disobedience".

The theory of civil disobedience, or whatever it was called, located at the base of political thought and practice of Gandhi .and the struggle against British colonial regime in India or Martin Luther King and the struggle against apartheid.

The Thoreau theorized with the following reason: Refused to pay taxes on the grounds that, when it pays the tax, accept and government policy that supports the system of slavery and the Mexican-American War, But policy that considers unjust and immoral .Prepei therefore refuse to pay the tax, not only not to come into conflict with your conscience, but also to express their opposition and your protest to this policy.
Essentially, the theory of civil disobedience contrasting formal legitimacy of a government, elected legally and has the majority of the people, the moral legitimacy. Highlights the fact that the majority decision, which may be per’ all legal, is by definition just and moral. The citizen has to obey his conscience and disobey the unjust and immoral law.

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EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK OF NTEIBINT Henry Thoreau,

"On Civil Disobedience"

"Better government is that which governs not at all". And when people are ready, this kind of government will.

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Let every man make known what kind of government would win the respect and this will be a step in the acquisition of.

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Must the citizen even for a moment, or in the least degree to subdue his conscience to the legislator; Why is it every man consciousness; I think we should be first people and then nationals. It is desirable to cultivate respect to law both, as for the correct. The only obligation which I have a right to take over is to do at any time what I think right.

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Go to the Navy Yard and look a Marines, a guy like forms a US Government or as may be done with the dark practices, shadow and reminiscence man, a living, upright corpse, and already, one can say, buried with his gun ready, with funeral accompaniment, although not excluded and that: "Neither one drumbeat not heard even a funeral note, when the dead body of the ramparts we ran not one soldier threw shot last resort "Hail" above the grave where our hero we buried "

Most such a manner serving the State, not as people but as machines mainly, with their body.

They are the standing army and militia, their jailers, the constables, patrols repression etc.. In most cases, there is absolutely no freedom of exercise of judgment or conscience, but equate themselves with wood, soil and stones. And not impossible to construct wooden people who will serve the purpose. Such people do not inspire more respect than,what scarecrows or a pile of dirt. Possess equivalent only with horses and dogs. But such people are usually considered good citizens.

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"I'm very high origin for here I am property, control me or 'am useful servant and tool for any sovereign state throughout the world "

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All men recognize the right of revolution, namely the right to refuse to faith and allegiance declarations, and to resist the government, when it is unbearably oppressive inefficient.

…I say that we must stop to have such a government when one sixth of the population of a nation -which is committed to be the refuge of liberty- slaves and an entire country crush unjust and conquered by a foreign army and imposed martial law, then I think it's time honest people to rebel and revolt.

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We used to say that most people are not ready. But improvement is slow, because the few are not substantially wiser or better than many. It does not really matter to many as good as you, but there be some absolute virtue somewhere. Why this would be the yeast will rise throughout the dough…

The vote is in any case a kind of game, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge, a play on the right and non-right, ethical issues. And, naturally, accompanying bets.

The reputation of the voters is not compromised. I cast my vote, possibly, according to what,what I feel right, but it is vital for me to prevail this right. I am willing to let the majority. The commitment to the right, therefore, never exceed it in favor of an appropriate solution.

Even if you vote in favor of the correct, not do anything about it. Simply express your vote in a meager way people desire you to prevail the right. A wise man does not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wishes to prevail through the power of the majority. There is little virtue in the action of many.

When many would eventually vote for the eradication of slavery, it is either because indifferent to slavery, or because you will not have much left to be eliminated by voting. You then are they the only slaves. The only vote that can accelerate the elimination of slavery is that which declares with it its own freedom.

There are natural or self-evident duty of a man to devote himself to the eradication of any, even the largest, Evil. It can rightly be the employ other worries. But it is his duty at least to never wash his hands and, if you do not think again, not to support actively.

There are unjust laws. We will be willing to obey or will do their utmost to change and, to achieve, will obey them or do you break the immediately; People usually, under a government like this, believe that we should wait until they convince the majority to change their. They think that, if you resist, confronting evil is worse than the evil itself

If the tax collector or any other public officer to ask, as has happened, "But what to do;», my answer is as follows: "If you really want to do something, resignation from your position ".

When the citizen refuses to declare allegiance and the public official resigns his position, then the revolution becomes a reality.

…those who defend the purest law, and therefore are more dangerous to a corrupt State, usually not devote much time to the accumulation of wealth.

If someone lived without using any money, itself the State would hesitate to ask. But the rich, without wishing to make distinctions- sold out always to the institution which makes him rich. Speaking strictly, The more money, the less virtue. Why money comes between a man and things that wishes and ensure on behalf of. And certainly no great virtue to obtain it.

When I discuss the most liberal of my neighbors, I understand that, what,Whatever you say about the magnitude and seriousness of the issue and their appreciation for social peace, The bottom line is that they can not be deprived of the protection of the existing government and shake the consequences of their disobedience to it, for property and their families.

I, for my part, I hope, never count on protection of the State. But, if you deny the power of the State when I give the note to the tax due, soon will I get and will invalidate all property and my so will cause endless annoyance to me and my children. This is hard. It makes it impossible for a man to live honestly, and at the same time comfortable materially.

I will not be worth accumulations property, he is sure to lose pali.Prepei to rent or to do squat in uninhabited areas and cultivate only a small crop and to eat quickly. You must live in you and rely on yourself always, with your belongings gathered and ready to start, and not having many open cases.

I do not pay poll tax here and six years. With closed once in a prison because of this, overnight. And, As I stood and contemplate the walls of solid stone, almost one meter thick, the door of wood and iron, thickness 30 cm, and iron bars that hold the light, was impossible not strikes me the nonsense that my institution behaved as if I was only flesh, blood and bones, which could be imprisoned.

Wondering which concluded that this was the best way ever use me and did not think to utilize my services in some way. I understood that, if there was a stone wall between me and my fellow, had an even harder climb or penetrate, to get to be as free as I was.

Not for a moment did not feel limited and my walls seemed a great waste of stone and laspis.Eniotha as if I had just me, from all my fellow citizens, pay my tax.

It was obvious that they did not know how to deal with but behaved like ypanaptyktoi.Kathe threat and every compliment was a blunder, because they believed that my main desire was to find myself on the other side of the stone wall. I could not smile seeing how much diligence kleidamparonan my anxieties, who followed them out again without a hitch, and, in actual fact, only they were dangerous. As they could not get to me, had decided to punish my body, as the boys who can not attack someone who 'contain a grudge and mistreat his dog.

I understood that the State is silly, that a woman is a coward like itself with the silverware, and that can not distinguish their friends from their enemies. So I lost both my respect was left and I felt pity for this. Thus the State never intentionally confronts the spirit and morals of a man but only his body, conscious.

It is equipped with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength. I was not born to be forced. You breathe in my own way. To see who is the strongest.

What force has a multitude; Only those who obey to a law higher than,what I can impose my. By pushing to become like them.

I have heard of people to force them to live in this way or another some crowds. What kind of life would that be; When I meet a government which says to me 'Your money or your life ", why should we hurry to give her my money; You may be in great difficulty and not know what to do. I can not help in this. We need to help this herself, as I do and I. Not worth whining. I am not responsible for the successful operation of society mechanism. I am the son of the engineer.

I see you, when an acorn and a chestnut fall side by side, one is left idle, to make room to another, but both obey their own laws and springing, grow and flourish as best they can, until one might overshadow and destroy the other. If a plant can not live according to nature, dies. So did a man.

There will never be a really free and enlightened State, if the state does not come to recognize the person as the supreme and independent authority from which derives all his power and authority, and treat it accordingly.

“Thoreau was a great writer, philosopher, poet, and withal a most practical man, that is, he taught nothing he was not prepared to practice in himself. He was one of the greatest and most moral men America has produced. At the time of the abolition of slavery movement, he wrote his famous essay “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience”. He went to jail for the sake of his principles and suffering humanity. His essay has, therefore, been sanctified by suffering. Moreover, it is written for all time. Its incisive logic is unanswerable”.

 

(1907)Mohandas Gandhi