ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

Hi there! Have you ever been told that you have to listen to your parents or teachers because they know best? Well, sometimes there can be rules or laws that are not fair or right.

When people think a law is not fair, they may choose to break that law on purpose as a way to stand up for what they believe in. This is called "civil disobedience."

But it's not that simple. People who practice civil disobedience have to think carefully about why they are breaking the law and what they hope to change. It's not about breaking rules just to do it - it's about trying to change things for the better.

For example, think about segregation in the United States. People of different races were forced to be separated from each other in many places, like schools and restaurants. This was not fair and many people knew it. Some people chose to break the segregation laws by sitting at the "wrong" lunch counter or going to the "wrong" school.

They knew they would get in trouble, but they also knew that by doing this, they were standing up for what they believed in - equality for everyone.

So, civil disobedience is when people choose to break a law on purpose as a way to stand up for what they believe in and bring attention to an issue. It's not always easy, but sometimes it's necessary to create change.