Dissent is the fortitude to challenge established doctrine, whether formulated by governments, religious organizations, industry or other social groups. While the leaders of those organizations often view dissent as a threat to their power, it is essential to the development and maintenance of fair and effective policies.
Reasoned and rationale dissent insures that laws are established and imposed without discriminating among social groups, whether based on gender, income, race, culture, religion or other human traits. Though often dismissed as rebellious or unpatriotic, dissent is vital to any democratic system and governments or organizations that attempt to suppress or limit its expression will eventually suffer the consequences.
The steady advance of human knowledge has always been guided by dissent, a willingness to question assumptions that, in the end, proved to be inaccurate. Nevertheless, at each stage of human civilization, social pressure offered resistance to such change and those courageous enough to dissent were persecuted for their ideas. Today, modern society retains that resistance and, while some nations are more democratic than others, the struggle for human enlightenment continues. Reasoned, nonviolent dissent is the key to removing our shackles.
