Greetings All,
Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” is an essay he is inspired to write
upon being incarcerated for not
paying his taxes. Published during an
era where
slavery is widespread, Thoreau’s ideas are
not popular and crosses the lines of the
status quo. While this may be true, Thoreau’s
philosophies are later inspiring to great
men such as Martin Luther King and Mohandas
Gandhi. Accordingly, Thoreau’s
insights in “Civil Disobedience” are ground breaking and
unveils his sense of
bravery.
Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the
United States, is in office at the time
“Civil Disobedience” is published. Taylor has no political experience and wins
the
election solely based on his military
credentials. Taylor, being the last
President to
own slaves, is a sign that Americans are starting to
change their views on equality
issues. Thoreau helps pave the way to equality in America, but
his efforts are
sadly unnoticed during
his lifespan.
Thoreau believes in the need for government “ but at once a better
government” (1615). Convincingly, the sincerity and wisdom of
Thoreau’s words
would make him the ideal candidate for president
during his era. I can only imagine
how
much further along this country would be if he were
elected President. In fact,
even if he
is some type of advisor to the President; his
influences would have made a
major impact.
All great men and women seemingly share a common trait of
bravery.
Hence, one can only imagine the nerve it took to go
against the grain of society;
especially during the time of slavery. How refreshing it is to learn about a man from
this period who not only questioned authority but published his own
works to make
his impression felt; even when the masses deemed his material as irrelevant during
his tenure.
I regard Henry David Thoreau as a great American thinker. Above all, he is
a man of great principle and true
virtue. Thoreau’s words of wisdom has
stood the
test of time and has becomes more relevant
as time passes. Clearly, he was a man
before his time and there is much to be learned
from him. It's my hope for our
leaders in modern society take a refresher course on Thoreau’s
common sense,
equality-conscious way of thinking.
Cal Sloan
