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STUDENT PERSPECTIVES.
PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS.

Pink Poppy Flowers

CONVERSATIONS FOR A MORE JUST TOMORROW.

OP-EDS & COMMENTARY

Student perspectives on politics, culture, society, and civic life.

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F E A T U R E D  O P - E D 

When Civil Disobedience Stops Being Civil

What is the true definition of the term “civil disobedience”? Over time, it seems to have lost some of its meaning. When we study civil disobedience under Martin Luther King Jr. and compare it to today’s movements, such as Black Lives Matter, how has the definition changed?

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Annabelle Hedrick

University of California, Irvine

September 30, 2026

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When Civil Disobedience Stops Being Civil

What is the true definition of the term “civil disobedience”? Over time, it seems to have lost some of its meaning. When we study civil disobedience under Martin Luther King Jr. and compare it to today’s movements, such as Black Lives Matter, how has the definition changed?

ai-generated-IMAGE.jpg

Annabelle Hedrick

September 30, 2026

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Law, Inequality, and the Overturning of Roe v. Wade

The overturning of Roe v. Wade demonstrates how law can perpetuate inequality. Using Marxism, legal violence, and legal consciousness, the piece argues that abortion restrictions affect people differently based on wealth, geography, and resources. Although laws may formally apply equally, individual

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Leela Narayan

September 30, 2026

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Why Civil Disobedience is Necessary for Democracy: A Powell Critique

This essay critiques Lewis F. Powell Jr.’s argument that civil disobedience threatens the rule of law. Using the overturning of Roe v. Wade and civil rights protests as case studies, it argues that resistance to laws perceived as unjust can serve a democratic purpose by challenging government action

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Leela Narayan

September 30, 2026

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Beyond the Ballot Box: Why Post-Roe America Needs Civil Disobedience

This piece argues that after Roe v. Wade was overturned, voting and legal challenges alone are insufficient to protect reproductive rights. It advocates for public, nonviolent civil disobedience, drawing on historical examples and political philosophy to argue that challenging unjust laws can expose

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Salwa Usmani

September 29, 2026

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