Having a perspective on any topic is essential to how reactions and outcomes will turn-out, and how people interpret these outcomes is all up to them. With either side of a debate or belief, a person may have a peaceful resistance to a allow a discussion to occur, a chance for both sides of the conflict to be heard and see the other angle of the dispute. For this one reason, I do think that resistances have a positive impact on society. It gives a voice to people and brings up thoughts and opinions that might be unseen or hidden from an opposing side.

Rosa Parks acted out in civil disobedience in the year of 1955. She refused to give her seat to a white male and continued to sit in her seat. She was arrested for her act of civil disobedience and convicted of violating the Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation in the South until 1965. The people of color saw this peaceful resistance as a positive impact for it brought light to their injustice, providing them a chance and the start of a movement, enabling them to make a difference. However, there were a few whites that saw this as a negative impact upon society by bringing the thoughts of equality and civil rights for all into the light. Park’s actions brought national press attention to segregation in Alabama, whether that be for the better or not depends on personal opinion and emotions of the topic. But, her actions did indeed bring up a big question: is this equal and right? And because of this, solutions, changes, and ideas were brought into play, and a difference was made.

For this simple effect of having a peaceful resistance, I do certainly think that they bring a positive impact on a free society. They are a push for analysis of a society’s current conditions; they serve as a light towards imperfections, disagreements, and direct societies towards a balanced democracy. Rosa Parks is considered as “the mother of the civil rights movement.” Her opposition to moving seats sparked a discussion, a movement for changing, all because she had the courage to partake in a peaceful resistance.

There have been many peaceful resistances throughout human history. Without these resistances, there would be no change nor progress within society. There have been many times in history where disagreements and conflicts have led to war. But with a peaceful resistance, the movements lead to an outlook on the society’s currents situation and shows what those within the resistance disagree with. Simply put, there are both negative and positive impacts of resistance depending on perspective. However, the positive impacts outweigh the negative, for a voice is being heard, ideas and concepts are being brought into a debate, and actions are being taken. And for this reason, I believe that peaceful resistance is a necessity for change and evolution within a society in order to impact our lives towards an equal, free, democracy.