The Importance Of Defiance
How defiance is vital for the growth of society!
On March 2nd 1955, Miss Claudette Colvin stirred America when she refused to get up from her seat to a white person and was shortly after, arrested. Following Miss Claudette nine months later, the famous Rosa Parks also refused to give up her seat to a white person.
The courage of a fifteen-year-old girl influenced the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Miss Claudette was the original person to trigger the Montgomery Bus Boycott which resulted in the start of the civil rights movement. In Alabama, there was a desegregation within the bus system and throughout America, also bringing Martin Luther King into a position to become the head of the civil rights movement.
Susan B. Anthony, a suffragist who became one of the most prominent people to fight for the equality of women, was arrested in 1872 for illegally casting her vote for the presidential election. Susan fought for fifty years for women’s rights until she died in 1906 and fourteen years after her passing, women were granted the right to vote.
Claudette’s and Susan’s acts of defiance helped to pave the way to bettering our country. Despite both of them going through discrimination and oppression they remained courageous and true to their beliefs.
Defiance is always looked at as a negative act when in reality defiance can indicate positive aspects as well. The world hasn’t improved because every single person kept their mouths shut and accepted mistreatment. It’s improved because people have been brave and stood up for what’s right!
As a child, my father was controlling and abusive. He controlled my family using fear-inducing tactics. The whole family would endlessly give in to his ridiculous commands and his overly authoritative ways. Even my mother was afraid of his outbursts that would easily be triggered.
My father often set ridiculous rules for us to follow but gave no logical reasoning for them. We weren’t allowed to question his rules or we would be severely punished but I as a child couldn’t help but wonder.
I remember one day as a kid coming home from school and I was starving. I walked to the kitchen to grab myself one of the snacks my mom had bought for us for after school. My dad was sitting silently at the dinner table and snapped his fingers at me as I reached for an apple.
“Did I say you could take something from my kitchen?” he questioned me as he glared at me while clenching his teeth. His glares were a regular part of his attempt to intimidate us.
“No, but Mom said I could have it for after school if I was hungry!” I said as I pulled the fruit closer to me.
“Are you stupid? Your mom’s not here is she?” he replied with a scowl on his face.
I looked at him and could feel tears filling my eyes from the intimidation. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of scaring me I took the apple and bit a huge chunk from it. He looked at me, widening his eyes in anger and jumped up out of his chair grabbing me by my ear. He pulled me by my ear to my bedroom where he proceeded to strike me with his belt.
From there on, I always made a point to stand up to him if I felt he was wronging me, despite the consequences. I was regularly referred to as the “Bad Child” and was treated as so. In his eyes I was DEFIANT!
Being defiant is refusing to obey something or someone that is believed to be unjust.
Throughout history, individuals who have displayed defiance have been heavily mishandled. People dislike defiant people because their passionate behavior sheds light on the wrong that’s being done. Eventually causing change and people having to answer for the harm being done.
Defiant people are often punished severely. The goal is to keep them quiet therefore people will often try to make a bad example of them. This can happen in a workplace setting, in a legal setting and often inside of people’s homes. A lot of the time, defiant people are mistreated even more for standing up for themselves.
Conclusion
Defiance can be a sign of strength, passion and intelligence. Standing up for what you believe in and being assertive in a healthy way is important for the world to continue to learn and grow.
If we break people’s spirits at a young age because we are afraid of defiance then who will be our future heroes? Who would we count on to create a wiser and gentler world?
