Civil Disobedience: The Only "Weapon" We Have Remaining?

Conclusions

A case can be made, perhaps, that in the past, civil disobedience may have contributed to implementing change in this country -- the civil rights movement, ending the war in Vietnam. It may as well have enjoyed a measure of success elsewhere in the world today -- aspects of the Arab spring. But the social and political situation in this country has changed dramatically and the ability of the government to suppress information, influence thinking, and control the populace has never been greater. What Hedges and others overlook in advocating civil disobedience as the only weapon we have remaining is that these changes, this implementation of police state tactics of surveillance, intimidation, and control negatively impact upon the effectiveness of all the weapons in the activist's arsenal whether it be petitioning, demonstrating, letter writing, parading with signs, etc., or Public CD. Even should the truly unlikely occur and civil disobedience become so widespread as not to be ignored, even should members of the police and military refuse to "enforce the law," to use violence against the civil disobedients, change is not assured as the praetorian guard of the ruling and corporate elite, the private contractors/mercenaries, will quickly fill the void and use whatever means necessary to restore "order."

 

Despite the bleak picture I paint, I am advocating neither non-action -- apathy and indifference -- nor violent revolution. Certainly, activists must continue to express their points of view, even though the corporate media will choose to ignore them. Activists must continue to demonstrate, petition their representatives, and make speeches condemning injustice even though the police will attempt to stifle their voices. Activists should continue to violate the law if accepting personal risks of severe reprisals from an NDAA-empowered presidency remains a personal moral obligation in response to immorality and injustice. Sometimes we must overcome frustration and do things not because we are certain of achieving the desired ends (and here I betray my deontological leanings), but because it is right.

 

Despite the lack of progress and my skepticism regarding the effectiveness of Public CD, I am not without hope. I am convinced that there is yet another powerful and time-tested weapon in the arsenal of those who struggle against injustice. That weapon is education. As activists for social change, we must gain access to our schools and dialogue with students to counter the copious lies and misinformation promulgated by our political leaders and the corporate media. Activists must become teachers and teachers activists. We must make clear to young minds that there is objective truth regarding law, morality, and our nation's behavior in the world, and that the injustices and immoralities -- the wars, occupations, torture, assassinations, exploitation, greed, inequality, etc. -- are real and not merely the consequence of differences in interpretation, ideology, or perspective. We must inform students that despite what they've been told, such laws, policies, and behaviors are neither in our nation's interest nor legally or morally acceptable whether practiced by our "enemies" or by us and/or our allies. We must instill in them a sense of responsibility for the policies and actions of our political leaders, for how they govern, and for the effect such policies and laws have on human beings and the environment. We must motivate young people to become socially and politically engaged, to speak out, make demands upon their elected officials and not be satisfied with or mislead by deceptive rhetoric and further lies. I am realist enough to recognize the difficulty of what I propose and the hurdles to be negotiated and overcome. Surely, change will not come quickly nor will those who benefit from the status quo, from injustice, sit idly by and watch their power diminish. So we must be patient, courageous, imaginative, and resilient. History has taught us that violence begets violence and education creates an enlightened, aware, and motivated citizenry that is revolutionary. So I remain optimistic, motivated by my sense of right and by the somber realization that if we are beyond even this, if opening the minds of the youth to truth and justice is no longer possible, then this nation, perhaps even our species, is truly at the edge of extinction.

Next Page  1  |  2  |  3

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).