Comparing Thoreau And Civil Disobedience

Thoreau and Civil Disobedience
I, myself, like many citizens have a cynical view of the government. I am skeptical of their morals and often question if their decisions are an act of self-interest. Additionally, the average citizen is often also dissatisfied by the response of the government. Nevertheless, citizens want the government to serve their needs by being active and responsive; however, how can it do that if it can’t accurately assess what the public wants. The government cannot serve its citizens if they don’t speak up. Therefore, how can citizens make a change in society? Some citizens believe that change happens naturally, so they let time sort out the situation. However, when unjust rules and laws control an individual’s life, …show more content…
They don’t speak out because they assume that there are people in Congress representing their opinions when in reality the only way for one’s voice to be heard is if one takes action. Without the direction of its citizen, the government will blindly make policies and laws, which consequently diminishes it effectiveness to satisfy the public. Thoreau’s excerpt on civil disobedience further describes the diminishing state of the government when he claimed that the government is losing some of its integrity (Thoreau). Thoreau’s description strengthens the claim that if the needs of citizens are not heard or accurately represented, the government cannot properly act. This is the reason why many citizens feel cynical, skeptical, and lose trust in the government. Although some citizens vote to project their voice, for the most part, a single vote is not enough to accurately convey one's whole message. Citizens must communicate their needs to the government for it to be effective. Thoreau explains the necessity of communicating with the government in his excerpt on civil disobedience, “Let every man make know what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it” (Thoreau). In the quote, Thoreau is trying to persuade every man to express their needs to the government. Moreover, for one to convey his or her needs they must take action. The most effective way to communicate one's voice is through civil disobedience because the government is blind to problems until they are brought up by strong opinions from the public. Civil disobedience is also effective because the government will more likely consider the views of peaceful and reasonable citizens than those of violent extremists. In other words, a single vote cannot accurately convey one’s needs, but civil disobedience can. In