Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place
for a just man is also a prison. The proper place to-day, the only place which
Massachusetts has provided for her freer and less desponding spirits, is in her
prisons, to be put out and locked out of the State by her own act, as they have
already put themselves out by their principles.
Civil Disobedience
Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau was uninterested in belonging to a state which
misrepresented his beliefs and demonstrated disregard for human life and
rights. In his discourse he specifically referred to his home state of
Massachusetts. Thoreau writes about his night spent in jail after refusing to
pay his poll-tax. He mentions that he refuses to pay this tax because he finds the
service useless. He is willing and happily pays his highway taxes and helps
support education because these services are necessary for the good of his
neighbors. Thoreau believes voting is useless unless accompanied by action that
demonstrates support for your vote. Voting creates a false illusion that you
are taking action when in reality it is comparable to sitting back and doing
nothing. In a nation where the majority rules, often times many will suffer
unnecessarily before the majority realizes that change is necessary. Thoreau
believes this flaw in the government and the way it is ran, slows down and
often prevents progress from occurring. He acknowledges that often times the
majorities opinion is not the right one. This led him to refuse to pay certain
taxes because he believes it is wrong to blindly align oneself to government
and support a government that is doing more harm than good simply to follow the
majority and norms.
Thoreau accepted his time in jail with pride because his choice to
stand up for what is right is what landed him there. He was an innocent man
imprisoned for going against a flawed government and that he was proud of. As a
prisoner he was viewed himself as freer than most of his neighbors because he
made use of his conscious rather than allow a government to tell him right from
wrong. Thoreau believes change is a result of disobedience. He preferred to
live imprisoned and in constant clash with the government if it was a result of
him standing up for human life and their rights. Thoreau urged others to follow
his example and free themselves from a government that based decisions on what
the majority believed rather than what is fair and right. Thoreau's argument
remains relevant in present day. Often times we choose to abide by rule that
are unfair because it is easier than taking action against the government and
cultural norms. We should use all available resources to create progress where
necessary in a peaceful manner even though often times that means facing a lot
of opposition. This is necessary because our government is flawed and so are
many of our policies.
i agree, most of the time we accept many changes by the government or any institution because its the easiest option. By us not standing up for what is wrong many times the higher authority feels that they can do as they please. like in the 19th century most movement like Malcolm X, or Martin Luther these men weather peaceful or violent stand behind their beliefs. We don't have much leader who would do the same today without it be for political propaganda or something to gain forgetting the their entire purpose
ReplyDeleteGreat point. Politicians often take the course of action that better favors them, though it make not be the best course of action for the state as a whole. Often times, we as citizens refrain from taking action or becoming politically involved because we ignore the benefits that can come from political involvement and underestimate our collective strength.
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