A.1. The ways adopted by organizations Earth First! and the Earth Liberation Front violate the central tenets of civil disobedience as practiced by Gandhi and martin Luther King, for they refuse to accept the existence of a higher authority and fail to view civil disobedience from the spiritual perspective. Lopach and Luckowski point out the methods employed by these organizations, which defy the teachings of Gandhi and Martin Luther King. “For Earth First! an ethic of “Deep Ecology” justifies using all the tools in the tool box ranging….. ecodefense, billboard bandits, desurveying, road reclamation, tree spiking.” (Lopach & Luckowski 409). Instead of utilizing peaceful means to convey their views, these organizations are resorting to violent ways on numerous occasions.
A.2 According to the authors, civil disobedience consists of four essential components and they are identification of an unjust law, expressing one’s dissent by breaking the law, preparation for facing the consequences of one’s actions and self-purification.
A.3. The author bring forth the defective teaching methods employed by the teachers while teaching the principles of civil disobedience. The meaning of civil disobedience in numerous books and the classroom is presented in an erroneous manner. “In these and other lessons, the teacher is directed to place the burden on the student to construct his or her own understanding of civil disobedience-a notion that contradicts the beliefs of the most profound protestors.” (Lopach & Luckowski 411). Instead of teaching the students about the true meaning of civil disobedience and principles practiced by Gandhi and King, the teachers encourage the students to develop their own ways of expressing their dissent through the practice of civil disobedience. The students are provided with a superficial knowledge about the principles of civil disobedience.
Works Cited
Lopach, James & Luckowski. Uncivil Disobedience: Violating the Rules for Breaking the Law.
Name of the Publisher. Date of Publishing.
