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| A clear and rational person goes much further than one who is rash. Many people these days are arrested for being too rash. Environmental causes are close to my heart but I would not chain myself to a tree to get arrested. Letter campaigns go much further. | Florida / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| I am ashamed to say that I would not risk getting arrested for most any cause. There are many wrongs in the world, such as the exploitation of the Third World, the vast disparity of wealth and consequently opportunity between rich and poor in our country today, crime in our cities. But do I do anything about them? No. Maybe I feel helpless to really do anything and that getting arrested won’t advance my cause so I give in and do nothing. | / |
| Not in this day and age!
First, how much publicity would you get? Maybe one local news cycle unless you had done something to merit national attention.
Second, how many people would remember what you had done after your 30 second sound bite had run? Do you really think that this is the way to motivate the masses?
Third, with an arrest (and possibly jail time) on your record, I invite you to try to get a job or rent an apartment in Boston. GOOD LUCK.
Dr. King expressed a fine sentiment but the time for martyrdom has come and gone. In today's society it is self defeating.
Stage a lawful protest; lobby your senators, congressmen and local representatives; write "letters to the editor"; rent time on local cable channels; try to raise celebrity support.
But don't shoot yourself in the foot. Live to protest another day. You can do far more good outside of jail.
| Massachusetts / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| | / SERBIA |
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| When the abstract and ideological political decisions of a few disrupt the health, freedom, stability, happiness of many is the time I ought to risk getting arrested. Whether I will actually make the sacrifice is an entirely different question. | / |
| There are many things that I would be willing to risk arrest for – my freedom of expression (or any of the other personal freedoms for that matter), equal rights (regardless of economics, gender, race, religion), equal opportunity for jobs and education.
However, I believe that it is better to support these causes in ways that do not directly lead to arrest…while I would be willing to face such consequences, my voice may be better heard outside of jail. | / |
| I feel strongly that acts such as extraordinary rendition and torture are contrary to the ideals of the US and I protest those acts vehemently. If my protests became illegal, then I would break the law and accept the penalty. | Massachusetts / UNITED KINGDOM (Incl. N. Ireland) |
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| The right to speak out against decisions of the government. Free debate is the only thing that will save this country. | New York / |
| The death penalty is dead wrong. I want more than anything to help abolish the death penalty. Not only have dozens of people been wrongfully executed (later found innocent) but the state should not have power over life and death. Each execution is a murder and the government is committing the same crime their victims did (the criminals). Not only has capital punishment been proven ineffective, but it is morally wrong and it is an embarrassment to live in the U.S.A. | California / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| Protesting. To be arrested for disturbing the peace while protesting a war most of the U.S. does not want to be in anyway is absurd. Do we not, after all, have the rights of free speech and assembly? | NA / |
| The freedom of a woman to choose to have an abortion legally. Why? Before abortion was legal, the death of both mother and child was far greater than the numbers of deaths after abortion was legal. From a registered nurse prior to legalization of abortion. | NA / |
| The right of women to live an equal, full life as men do. There’s no such thing as a woman’s mission or role. | NA / |
| A dying person’s right to ask for, and receive, medical help to die peacefully at a time of their own choosing. | NA / UNITED KINGDOM (Incl. N. Ireland) |
| The right to free and fair elections. | / |
| My right to read what I choose is so important to me that I would fight to protect it. This nation will never be able to call itself free as long as even one person is denied freedom of information. | / |
| I feel everyone deserves the right to a fair trial because people are getting arrested for the color of their skin, the clothes they wear and even the way they speak. THIS SHOULD NOT BE. | / |
| I would happily be arrested for supporting the right of all citizens to peaceably assemble and for the right of all to question, protest and obtain redress of the government. We are supposed to be a representative government for the people and by the people, not for the rich by special interests. | New Jersey / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| I would risk getting arrested for my faith. People back then gave all they could to have freedom of religion. My life endangered would help me grow stronger in my faith. | / |
| The separation of church and state. I am active in my religious faith but do not believe that you need to share my views. | California / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| As you read the words so many write here expressing their opinions you participate in that which I feel most strongly about: my right to express my views and thus change how I am governed. Think about it: to debate abortion rights, freedom of religion and anything else written here you must first have that right to write. All else hinges on it; it is so important the Founding Fathers we honor here listed it first in our own Bill of Rights. Preserving this, and honoring the right for someone else to believe differently, is vital to our own Constitution living on for centuries more. | Virginia / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| Defending the legal right of individual Americans to keep and bear arms because once this is denied then the balance of power shifts and people will be open to oppression and corruption. | / |
| I would risk arrest to stop a ban on homosexual legalized marriages. | / |
| Tolerance! When we talk about racism, homosexuality, human rights and religion it all comes to this: acceptance and understanding! Just letting people live! | / GERMANY |
| Extending equal protection and equal rights to same-sex families. | / |
| For people all over the world to be able to go to school even if they don’t have the money for it! | / |
| The right to speak your own opinion. | / AUSTRIA |
| I am no longer allowed to hold a teaching certificate in the state of Maine because I refuse to be fingerprinted. I believe in our right to privacy as a U.S. citizen and would be arrested (and then fingerprinted) as a matter of principle. | Maine / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| Freedom of religion. I feel blessed to exercise my faith as I choose in our country. But I would support that freedom worldwide. | / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| For smoking because it’s each individual’s decision. | / GREECE |
| Book burning. Each citizen has the right to own and read the literature of their choosing. From a school librarian. | Florida / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| I am against racism and all discriminatory comments and acts brought upon others. I would risk my life if I knew I was saving one person for the color of their skin, their religious beliefs or their sexual preference. | / |
| The right of freedom of expression (i.e. to write/publish your beliefs, even if against the government, and for others to be able to read and comment on them.) The trouble is, what if your views are considered ‘evil’ by some people? I think it’s important though, because through reading other peoples’ beliefs we can formulate our own and think about whether we agree or disagree and why. | / |
| Right to life for all human life, which includes human life in the mother’s womb AND human beings condemned to die. | / |
| I would protest against the MCAS because it’s wrong to make people who can’t do it do it. | Massachusetts / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| The marriage of homosexuals. If two people, regardless of their sexual preference, make the decision to spend the rest of their lives together in marriage then that is their choice, not the rest of America’s. | Florida / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| War crimes and mass genocide. | / |
| World nuclear disarmament because no one should have the right to mass destruction. | / |
| Greenpeace. | / |
| | Arkansas / FRANCE |
| | Massachusetts / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| Because unjust laws must be fought. | New York / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| This stems from 1981 when I was 19 years of age. We had a rugby tour from South Africa and our nation split almost 50/50 over the issue of sporting contacts with Apartheid.
I grew up with the words of Martin Luther King jr in my head.
The nation went to the brink of civil war and I marched at every opportunity.
I am now 45 and still march to defend the freedoms my Father's generation fought for. | / NEW ZEALAND |
| I am planning to donate my taxes to organizations other than our government, because I am no longer comfortable with the blood of Iraqi civilians on my hands. | California / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
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