A Handy Guide to Civil Disobedience

A history lesson in our duty to say "NO" to acts that go against morals or the law of nature by Jewel Burbidge

Today I want to share with you a short 25 minute presentation I found on the topic of civil disobedience, something that we all should be equipped with understanding. I had come across this video in 2021 but lost the link, but yesterday I found it again and want to share with you all.

Simply saying NO can bring about change.

This history lesson on the duty and power of civil disobedience is presented by Jewel Burbidge who is the founder of Voting Matters, a non-partisan, grass roots political education and discussion group based in Brisbane, Australia. In their words Voting Matters is "like TED Talks for regular people, bypassing the traditional media information gates” bringing “an array of exciting speakers each month to engage in truth, reason and reality."

Jewel was inspired to start this group around 2015 following a "political epiphany" while holding her baby grandson and realising he just entered a world going mad (my words), and she had to do her bit to make it better for him. Politicians were getting things wrong so she decided to get involved, and examine all points of view and began running small group meetings with like-minded people.

I think this is a powerful example of how one person taking action can help effect change and inspire others. On that note, my contribution to a better world has been to collect and collate the censored pandemic information in one place (Totality of Evidence), to not only help my own understanding of what is going on, but the web platform allows many others to benefit from the aggregated content, to easily find and listen to view point the mainstream media keeps hidden.

With an understanding of our our rights and the political system, good people will be armed with ways they can help control the shaping of our future.

Politics is not something I paid much attention to prior to 2020, I had received no schooling on the topic, I had not foundation for understanding it, but I’ve come to learn that I am not alone there, and this ignorance is likely by design. I had heard the phrase “civil disobedience” banded around during protest marches in 2020-2021 but I didn’t really understand what that meant. As I started to educate myself on what were my civil rights I came across this gem of a presentation on civil disobedience.

A Handy Guide to Civil Disobedience

I hope you find this presentation informative, and if so please share it with others

I present here a few of the slides from Jewel’s presentation to pique your interest to hopefully watch the presentation yourself.

Civil disobedience history can be found in history, from Cicero (106BC) to Thoreau (1817-1862)

Civil disobedience is driven by morals, the law of nature, or natural rights and your conscience. When your government oversteps these bounds it is our duty to resist and say no!

We have a “duty” to not let our government make us an “agent of injustice”, your conscience should take precedence

We have a duty to not let our government make us an “agent of injustice”. The civil disobedience which is being taught here is always non-violent, it is polite, a passive form of resistance. Do not confuse it with the rioting of civilians or citizens rebelling against a something, where they are violent and destructive.

The second is the usual way people try to implement civil disobedience.

Civil disobedience bust be open, public and non-violent. When the public see someone standing up, they start to question what is going on.

Civil Disobedience is peaceful and public, to draw attention to the injustice.

Now imagine if many stood their ground against unjust laws. No wonder governments don’t want us to peacefully protest and demonstrate our recognition of unlawful edicts and attempted legislations.

One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.

Any man who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and willingly accepts the penalty by staying in jail in order to arouse the conscience of the community on the injustice of the law is at that moment expressing the very highest respect for law.

Martin Luther King Jr.