Essay On The Purpose Of Government

What is the purpose of a government? As people continue throughout their busy lives, they seem to follow their government because it is what their parents did before them. It is not very often that government is questioned. A government is supposed to offer its people certain protections and freedoms in return for obedience of its laws. When the laws are not upheld, the offenders suffer consequences. What happens when the government does not uphold its side of the agreement? This is when the government should be opposed. It is appropriate to go against the government in certain circumstances. One of these circumstances is when the government is not fair and just. In the 1950’s and 60’s, many citizens of the United States began protesting unfair treatment of African Americans. One of these people was Rosa Parks. Parks had to face segregation problems in the Montgomery bus system. After a year of fighting, …show more content…
To refer to an action as an “act of congress” now means that that action will take a very long time to achieve. In an essay by Henry David Thoreau, he writes, “Can there not be a government...in which majorities decide only those questions to which the rule of expediency is applicable” (Thoreau). Thoreau believes that government often takes so long to make decisions, that it is practically useless. Changes are difficult to make because they often take over a lifetime to complete. In this situation, government disobedience is a much faster option. It took our government a century to give equal rights to African Americans, and it only happened because of government disobedience. Many people believe that the law must always be followed. What is the purpose of a set of laws if they will be broken? A set of laws is important, but if they conflict with conscience, they should not be followed. One who will follow any law must accept living without