Reflection Blog - Civil Disobedience (Thoreau)

Henry David Thoreau I think puts it best when he says, "that government is best which governs least," (Thoreau). His essay entitled "Civil Disobedience" revolves around the United States' government's corrupt stand on two major issues, slavery and war. Thoreau feels that slavery is morally wrong and he does not agree with the practices of such evils. In an act of protest, Thoreau refuses to pay taxes to the government. They (being the government) lock him up in jail overnight. "Civil Disobedience" provides readers with a number of themes. First, is the idea of justification for what is wrong and what is right. Thoreau feels that the government puts into place a number of rules and obligations that are not fail. He does not agree with the fact that American is going to war with Mexico over a dispute of land in a territory that ultimately belonged to Mexico in the first place. During the Mexican War, the United States gained two-thirds the size of American in territory from Mexico. We treated Mexico as the underdogs. They had no chance of winning a war against an army that outnumbered them, had better weaponry, and a good majority of the nation that supported them. Thoreau thinks that winning the internal "war" with the government is ultimately impossible. In part I of his essay, the author states that voting is like "that of gaming, like checkers or backgammon," (Thoreau). When one votes, they vote for who they believe is right, but Thoreau compares this mindset to making a move in checkers and that move you find to be the best at the time does not always result in the right one in the end. This comparison can be compared to government. Take for instance the Republican nomination occurring right now. Romney and the other candidates are enthralling the public with ideas of good deeds and public funding, but more than likely if we vote any of them (along with any other faction of presidency) into office, their great ideas will eventually fall through the floor. I love Thoreau's quote, "but we love better to talk about it: that we say is our mission," (Thoreau). This statement is boldly true. The issues of slavery during this time period was so blatantly ignored and tossed around that when the issue was finally resolved, it took a full-scale war to subside the issue. In one literary criticism by Brett Barney, he states that Thoreau's essay became a "precedent" for generations to come. Civil right's leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., and peace advocate Mohandas Gandhi used Thoreau's essay as support for the social issue in which they were addressing. He not only addresses the issue of slavery and war, but also includes an important theme of not letting the big guys in Washington have all the power simply because they possess obscure amounts of money and fame. Overall, Thoreau makes outstanding points in his work regarding one's moral obligation to stand up for what is right, regardless of the majority vote that holds back complete justification.

Barney, Brett, and Lisa Paddock, eds. "'Civil Disobedience'."Encyclopedia of American Literature: The Age of Romanticism and Realism, 1816–1895, vol. 2, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Thoreau, Hendry D. "Thoreau's Civil Disobedience." The Thoreau Reader. Web. 26 Jan. 2012.