Civil disobedience means breaking a law you don't agree with. Henry Thoreau, a transcendentalist, encouraged peaceful civil disobedience. The law must be something that many people find bad and everyone must act against it, whether it is not paying taxes or petitioning. Thoreau himself went against the government and did not pay taxes, thinking he had others to support him. He went to prison while no one else refused to pay. He believed that doing so was a good thing and made him a good citizen. Others also participate in civil disobedience, although sometimes to a more extreme extent. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Oregon militia standoff, at the Malheur National Wildlife Reserve, is an example of civil disobedience taken to the extreme. The group wanted two things; 2 ranchers released from prison and Malheur National Forest will be handed over to locals. The two farmers committed arson and were sentenced to 5 years in prison, which the militia wanted to get them out of or simply reduce the sentence. They were all armed with rifles and bombs, if not, most of the time this happened. Cliven Bundy, the father of one of the militants, was told to reduce the number of cattle grazing on protected land because the cattle were ruining a habitat of endangered species. Bundy refused and also refused to pay grazing fees. The militia searched Native American artifacts located in the refuge, built a road into the sanctuary, and left feces around the refuge. They disrespected the land they were “protesting” on, the law and even the locals. Henry Thoreau's idea of ​​civil disobedience is not the same as the militia. He believed that people should “let [their] life be a counter-friction to stop the machine,” but the militia did so without peace, which Thoreau would have done (Thoreau 8). Instead of using weapons, he would use words or silent protests, such as not paying taxes on something that will go to a cause he doesn't support. The militia would have been more regressive in his eyes because they used force to try to get what they wanted. Thoreau's concept of civil disobedience manifests itself with the Oregon militia, but they did not do what he would advocate. The Oregon militia standoff could have been done much differently and with more respect. Instead of having guns, shunning the law, and despising the shelter, they could have protested with signs and listened to the police if they had been involved. Their approach was bad, so the result was equally bad. The 25 people involved were all charged because they took a hard and bad path, creating more problems than necessary. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Civil disobedience does not mean there must be violence as there can always be a passive path.