Dissent

Liam Kelleher

Rasheda Young 

1-6-17

English Workshop 1101

 Dissent is described as “to differ in sentiment or opinion, especially from the majority”. Having opposing views about topics is necessary for improvement and change.Dissent is essential for a company’s growth, innovation, creation and improvement. Dissent is not only for important for a companies future but also the future for the general population, without dissent great movements such as the civil rights movement may have never occurred. Dissent is a big topic in the book Friendswood as well, a major character named Lee stands alone in her disagreement with the general public about the Taft chemical spill. Society as we know it was built by people being both dissent and united, both are needed to an extent to produce a functioning community, shown in Friendswood and during the civil rights movements.

Lee was dissent about the crisis in Friendswood, she was the only person who did not settle on the conclusion of what happened on the Taft Properties. Lee’s teenage daughter Jess died of a rare blood disorder that is believed to be caused by the chemical dumping. The death of Jess went unpunished and Lee has a constant feeling of unjust which drives her to compile evidence to prove that the chemical spill was not a freak accident, but was at fault of the Taft Oil Company. People look at Lee with disgust and pity, though they know what has happened to her daughter. Their are many examples other than in the book Friendswood.

Examples of dissent can be found throughout history, such as the civil rights movements. The era of civil rights were not caused by huge mobs of people who wanted a specific thing, it was caused by individuals such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. Who persuaded their fellow americans to strive for the same goal as them. Without those american icons being dissent from the group there may not have been a successful civil rights movement at all. 

Dissent has built what americans now know as society, without it many things would be different. People everywhere have been affected by the dissent of others, both in the book Friendswood and in the real world. The world can benefit from more dissent thinkers and apposing views, but from people that are willing to compromise and create the optimal solution for the communities future.