Unfortunately, no government can be considered a flawless system that defends the civil rights of every citizen. There are always a vast number of problems that cannot be solved without debates or even political crimes. Therefore, being a citizen means to stand up for oneself, fight against injustice, and never tolerate violence. If one is obedient to unjust laws, there is no hope for freedom, liberty, and fraternity in the future. As far as the US is concerned, it is critical thinking and thirst for unanimity that make people be vigilant and keep an eye on public officials and prevent them from power abuse. Fortunately, it is generally agreed to be part of the US identity that makes this country thrive.
Admittedly, people can be afraid of anti-government demonstrations because the roaring crowd can hardly be sober enough to prevent accidental manslaughter. There have been many cases when somebody died in street battles in the name of justice. However, it happens when government officials do not want to listen to the problems of the common people. One can suppose that intervening in the face of injustice can serve as a last resort.
Indeed, there are many reasons why somebody decides to oppose the law. Thus, Thoreau (2016) advocates the idea that perfect government never supervises the citizens too much. For instance, it sounds sensible that small businesses should not be fighting for survival because of ever-growing taxes. If it happens, there will be a strong possibility of strikes leading to the industry’s collapse. Such repercussions can cost a lot for the system, so those vested with the power to create laws should think twice before resorting to tuff measures.
Moreover, there can be a deepening chasm between different social groups of the country. If millions of people live in poor conditions to let one family enjoy welfare and be given all creature comforts at the expense of others, it will cause a rise in hatred towards such a government. Edgar Allan Poe describes a similar situation in the story called “The Cask of Amontillado” (Levine et al., 2021). One person ruthlessly kills another because of social status. Unfortunately, such things happen in real life, but they should never be advocated in contrast to demonstrations and strikes. Here lies the boundary between Good and Evil, considering the resistance to civil government.
In fact, the government as we know it is nothing but a social contract between common people and those who lead the heard. Many people around the world take power to abuse for granted. However, the US nation has never displayed victim patterns of behavior. To give consent to everything said and done by men in power means to be sheep of Panurge’s herd for these people.
To sum it up, to be a patriot, one should be ready to defend their rights even if there is something wrong considering the laws of government. Without speaking up and demonstrating the profound dissatisfaction with unjust laws, no great country can be built. An illustrative example of a nation that never keeps silent in the face of injustice is the US. They tend to organize demonstrations and conduct a dialogue with politicians. However, there is always a boundary that one should never cross. It is murder.
References
Thoreau, H. D. (2016). Resistance to civil government. Revista FilosofĂa UIS.
Levine, R. S., Elliott, M. A., Gustafson, M. S., Hungerford, A., & Loeffelholz, M. (2021). The Norton anthology of American literature: Ninth edition. W. W. Norton & Company.