Government in Civil Disobedience Essay

Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience shows his dislike of the government. We live in a world where everything we do is related to the government. There are many things that happen in which the citizens do not agree with but we have to or get ourselves killed or into jail. There are many things that the government has not done right but I do not believe that we should have a government at all as Thoreau suggested. The government should not be used to control the people but to direct them in the right direction.

Henry Thoreau writes about how maybe we should not even have a government because the government does not do much. The government did not keep us free, settle the west, or educate us but instead the people did these things. He believes that things would be more successful if the government did less interfering. The government us what brings out the evil in people because when people have too much respect for their government and laws they seem to not remember their conscience. Like soldiers who are trained to kill even innocent ones because we are in a war and that is what the government wants them to do. The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirtyet such as these even are commonly esteemed good citizens.

Americans have limited freedoms in what they are allowed to do. We have amendments written telling us that we are free and have the freedom of speech and yet some protesters are wither beaten or put into jail because of what they believe is right. I believe that the government should step in when the protesters are out of hand and start harming the environment or pedestrians. Thoreau experienced the consequence of not obeying to the law. They only can force me who obey a higher law than Iwhat sort of life were that to live? When I meet a government which says to me, Your money or your life Thoreau was put into jail for not paying his taxes.

During the presidential election two candidates, George W. Bush and John Kerry were speaking out to the country about their beliefs and their role if they become president. I cannot seem to get the fact that George W. Bush won. I was thinking if this has to do with the fact that he is religious and believes that women should not be allowed to have an abortion. I thought that choosing a president was for government purpose and for the president to do what is best for the country. I feel that most people who voted for President Bush only did because they were religious and they believe that women should not be allowed to have an abortion. Is that what this country is up to now? Not only that but also having the country going to war for another four years because our president believes that there is weapons of mass destruction in Iraq even though they have not found any weapons yet. When George Bush was announced president my friend said that the people who voted for him should have their children go to war and fight. War is not a funny matter and the government should not be killing innocent people just because something the president believes in.

I do not think I can sleep peacefully if I knew that there was not a government because I believe that the government helps control us and keep us on track. This does not mean that we should have a country that only looks up to the government. The main points in Thoreaus paper is that the government should be govern less because when the government interferes with the way things are going they seem to make things worst. I think that we should have a government that is less controlling and more like a guideline. The people choose what they think is right and wrong.