Quote:
Originally Posted by Gillianren
Yes. Yes, it is. I wrote a column for my alma mater's paper about it once. One underage person drinking a beer isn't civil disobedience, especially when it's followed by whining that that underage person got busted for it. Thirty underage people drinking beers in full view of law enforcement and accepting their punishment is. Heck, even one person can be, if that person does it right.
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Good point. I read a similar article that highlighted Henry David Thoreau, who civilly disobeyed a tax policy by refusing to pay. He was found guilty and without complaint let himself be jailed. He was freed the next day when a family member paid the taxes, much to Thoreau's protests.
By contrast, a group of abortion protesters were arrested for actions, and the article stated that they were thrilled to be arrested for their cause. They even wore loose comfortable clothing and carried no valuables, knowing that they would want to minimize inconvenience while incarcerated. But when a judge sentenced them to actual jail time they were outraged. They weren't intending to actually pay the consequences for their civil disobedience. They were wanting to spend a Saturday in a local cell and be back to work on Monday morning beaming at each other over their shared experience.
Sorry, but if you can't do the time, don't do the crime.