Civil Disobedience Final Essay

Zinn interview, 2192.  In my opinion civil disobedience is a huge problem in society these days.  Zinn says, "Our problem is civil obedience, not civil disobedience."  It's hard to live in a society where you are judged on your acts and the decisions you make.  Howard Zinn states how it is seen in strikes, historically and today, acts of direct action.  Direct action means you are reading directly on your protest instead of waiting for representatives to act.

I see people all the time getting judged for protesting and its wrong.  I think it is civil disobedience to not protest the wrongs in our society cause there is so much.  Howard Zinn says that we should worry about civil obedience and he is right.  Nowadays people are constantly mistaking civil obedience with civil disobedience.  Teens are constantly joining the military not recognizing they are gonna go to war which can not be morally justified, Says Zinn.  Zinn also says how people will also fall into injustice cause there scared and feel they have no other alternative.

Zinn states that the justice system favors the rich, white and orthodox over the poor, black and radical.  This justice system alone is a big act of civil disobedience in my opinion.  This system makes it so that only the rich people make it in these big jury positions but no poor are represented in the court.  Howard Zinn states that the checks and balances which states not one branch of government can dominate simply doesn't work in times of war.  Zinn says that every war since world war  II has violated the requirement of the constitution that congress alone can declare war not the president alone.

The British, French, Chinese and Russian revolutions are all violent revolutions.  One revolution that wasn't was the revolution that took place in Africa.  " It solved a fundamental problem without the massive violence of civil war or a revolution," said Zinn.  The south Africans set an example that non-violence wars may not solve all problems but it will solve many without destroying the economy.  Zinn talks about how non-violent revolutions avoid the horrors of war and move a step closer in the direction of justice.

In todays society it's so hard to start a movement cause people are brainwashed constantly by the media.  Zinn states, " It is more difficult to build a movement because of the greater control of the media by the government.  Zinn says how the British administration is more cruel and way more ruthless than the Johnson or Nixon administrations.  This administration basically denies any sort of protest or revolution.

When we have protests our protests have always been non-violent in the civil rights, Anti-war and women movements.  We should be blessed as a country that at least we know someone is listening.  At least our protests aren't as violent as those in other countries.  This information came from Howard Zinns  interview with " State of Nature."  Zinn has wrote a number of popular and informing books and is still an inspiration and role model till this day.

Civil disobedience has always been a debated and polar opinionated topic since the first days that it was presented. Whenever it comes to going against a law that is set in stone as something to abide by in a society, some controversial actions are going to follow. The person who played the role as somewhat of a backbone in this movement was Henry Thoreau. In 1849, when Henry Thoreau re-iterated the idea of civil disobedience to the people of American following the Mexican war, it was viewed by some as extremely controversial, some viewed it as treason, and then there were the followers that were completely accepting of it and felt it necessary. This is why, when the idea came of mixing this idea of civil disobedience that was already controversial, with the slavery and whether it should be used against the fugitive slave act, was a real catalyst for uproar and praise. The uproar clearly came from some people with high positions in the United States.

Thoreau stated that people "cannot spare the protection of the existing government, and they dread the consequences to their property and families of disobedience to it" . So it makes sense that most people would not be willing to risk losing their property, family, or their life. However, we should not feel this way because Jefferson also stated that "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just power from the consent of the governed."Jefferson then went on and stated "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it and to institute new Government." It is not as if people do not have problems with the government. We protest the same things that Thoreau did: paying for wars, services that we personally do not use, corruption in our government, etc. Yet our society today does not use productive means to invoke our "Right of the People" and demand a "better government". 

There are people who actually do choose to abide by some of Thoreau's suggestions for dealing with our government. Many people refuse to pay taxes. Jefferson did claim that "imposing taxes on us without our Consent" was grounds for a request for new government. Is there actual anyone who enjoys paying taxes? Thoreau did not have a problem with paying "for no particular item in the tax-bill". He just did not want to show "allegiance to the State". He believed that he did not join the "incorporated society" that is the State so why should he pay its debts. The people who refuse to pay today simply prefer to keep their money. So according to Jefferson, that is technically ok. 

What is an American

What is an American... well in my opinion to be an American is to be human.  If you are american you are of any racial background and not limited to just color.  In America there is a lot of racial profiling but it shouldn't be like that.  In the early 1900's and throughout the 1800's to be an american you especially had to be white.  Nowadays to be an american you are of any racial background and shouldn't be called out on being a different color.  When Columbus set out on his voyage and came upon the lands he found he didn't discover the land but conquered it so you can't really say that Americans where white cause they didn't find this land they conquered it.

The Native Americans that where stripped of there land where killed and to this day live in shitty reserves payed by our government.  And to be American does not quite make any sense because America is a land mass not a race.  You can live in America but you can't quite be american.  You are what your background is so in the case that someone tells you that they are American they aren't but they are actually European.  Just cause you are born in America doesn't mean you are american cause it is not a race so don't shed shy of your roots.  But if we are saying it figuratively someone who is American is a person who is hardworking and dedicated to what they do.  Nowadays its rare to find someone like that especially in America cause most people are so lazy.

So what is an American, well like I said it today it is people of every background.  If you are american you should be damn proud of it because to live in america is a lot of peoples dreams.  Now I'm not saying america is the best place in the world cause it has its flaws.  America has a type of government that a lot of people like, the rich, and a lot that dislike, everyone else.  The "american dream," as some people say is to have a good job, a nice house and a perfect family and that is how i feel because that is a dream worth living for.  To be an american is to be yourself and not be what people want you to be or try to make you become.  If you want to be successful in life you must do things yourself and by doing that you will fail but that is all about learning.

So to be an american would also be, in this generation, a fat, lazy, and annoying person who never shuts up about themselves and only cares for themselves.  Americans now have been deceived so much that it is so bad how they do not understand what is happening.  Americans nowadays do not have any clue about anything that is going on in there country and it is so sad.  Americans are constantly fed lies and they constantly believe these lies.  If Americans do not wake up from the illusions they are fed then what is to come for our generation is nothing.  It is said that for generations to come 1/3rd of Americans will have diabetes which means that we still have time to stop this.  There is food sold in America that is band in other countries which should be a wake up call for people.

Auto-Biography

The Hard Times for a Kid

I’m a New York boy that’s lived around the world to know the difficulties of life for a colored person in certain areas.  I was born in Saint Vincent’s hospital in Staten Island, New York and lived in Tottenville, Staten Island for a few years.  My family was constantly moving cause of my dads job.  My dad was also in the military witch was a big impact on our moving as well.  I soon moved to a small town in Maryland where I lived for several years.

I lived in Hagerstown, Maryland for a couple years where my dad worked as a dentist and served in the military.  Till this day he flies back and forth every other week to Maryland to work.  When we moved to Maryland I attended Broadfording, which was a Christian school.  I had no problem making friends since everyone knew me cause my dad was the pastor of that schools church.  Maryland was one of those places that you are praised as a white but looked down upon if you are colored.  For a while when we lived there it was very difficult to go around to places without being stared.  But now that everyone knows us cause of my dad it’s more calm.  Soon we moved to Puerto Rico for about three years

I lived in Humacao, Puerto Rico in a community called Palmas Del Mar where I attended the private school in that community.  This was the first time I didn’t really see my dad all that much because he was constantly flying back to Maryland to work.  School was fun for me and I met many different people in that school.  Every year we visit Puerto Rico for our family vacation and stay in that community with our my grandparents.  During sixth grade we moved to Los Angeles, California where we still live till this day.

When I moved here I was home-schooled for the rest of sixth grade and then I went to John Burroughs Middle School seventh and eighth grade.  I now go to Fairfax Senior High School and have went here all three years.  One goal I have for this year is to get good grades and achieve what I didn’t in ninth and tenth grade.  So far I have had no serious problems with Fairfax and I actually enjoy going to Fairfax and wouldn’t rather go to any other high school.  Since I moved to California I have met many unique people and the people that are my friends, I'm glad I can call them that, are the best ever.  

Tottenvile will always be my home but I'm so glad that I've been given an opportunity to travel and meet so many different people.  California has opened my eyes to so many possibilities in life and I am so grateful of that.  Traveling and living in multiple different places really gives you an eye for what there is to pursue in life.  After high school i plan to take a road trip from california all the way to new York with friends and just explore what there is out there in this beautiful continent.

EPT Essay

Sue Jozui says, "We should boycott trick advertising and legislate rules and guidelines for advertisers."  I agree with Ms. Jozui but i also do disagree with what she wants to be done with advertisers.  I think that it is wrong for people to try and trick other people into buying a certain product.  It's wrong for them to be tricking us and feeding us lies about how there product is better than anyone else.  It is also bad because nowadays you can't trust anyone even the news because they are aloud to lie for these big companies so u really don't know what is in your product.  Also we have to take in factor that this is the peoples jobs so we shouldn't penalize the advertisers but the company that allows such deceiving methods of advertising .  What people have to understand is that all-in-all you shouldn't be so easily deceived by this type of commercial cause it's so obvious.  Another thing about taking away these types of advertising would be that most commercials today are deceiving.


  To boycott commercials would be something huge and honestly I think people today like to be deceived about there product for such bragging rights.  If I saw a commercial that promoted my product that I use and I tell all my friends to use it and then the next week they boycott these commercials and a new commercial shows that the product I use is shit I'm gonna feel stupid for bragging.  A lot of people today will go on and on about what is better than what based off of the commercials they see and what they are told but what they should really do is take the time out of there day to find out what is good and bad about the product they use.  One major issue with commercials is that a lot of these companies tend to go to the news to advertise there product and they pay the news company to lie about there product witch is legal but terribly wrong.  Also something you should worry about is these big companies have the money and power to pass laws to further protect there product.  A good example would be the company Monsanto and how Obama passed a law where they don't have to have the name of the company there  products.  I think people should take a little more time to further see what is really wrong and good with the stuff they use.


 And this is why I agree and disagree with Ms. Jozui about boycotting commercials but if I where to lean in favor with one side i would say to boycott commercials or at least pass a law where these companies have to be one-hundred percent positive with what goes in and what will come out of there product so people know and are better protected.  There is certain problems that we should address about commercials and what is wrong but that is for the future to decide.  Hopefully in the future people will wake up and realize what is happening with them.  This is something that people should worry about because our nation is ruined if we don't stop being so easily deceived.