Graduation Speech: Misuse Of Power

One of the things that almost everyone can bank on in his or her life is having someone tell them what to do. Regardless of whom you are, someone will have more power over you at some point in your existence. It is almost as likely that at one time or another they will misuse that power. To sum it up briefly, as long as people have been around, one has found a way to gain the upper hand over the other. It doesn 't end there though; as long as this has been the case, the people being pushed around have been figuring out different ways to push back. A prime example of this is high school. Especially if you live in a small town, or even better spend a lot of time in a high school, you will see displays of defiance in a plethora of forms. There …show more content…
There are kids who go out of their way to break every rule ever made and there are others who just decide that the fight isn 't worth it and they follow the rules without question. The punishments for disobeying authority vary with the offense, context, location, etc. of the event. There is vice principal named Mr. Suppes who will yell at students for even the slightest infraction. With differing amounts of power, abuse of that power, and varying consequences, the question becomes, "What battles are worth fighting and what is the most effective way to fight them?" Henry David Thoreau attempted to answer some of the questions that arise when one considers standing up to the government, one of the more visible forms of power. The longevity of the inspirational effects of Thoreau 's message in Civil Disobedience can be attributed to the universal relation that most people bear with it, the call to action, and the example that he and others influenced by his words have …show more content…
Who hasn 't ever argued with their parents? Many kids have done things specifically to spite their parents. From childhood, we are taught about dealing with those in a higher position of power than ourselves. It doesn 't stop there. We are thrust into a public school system, and put in contact with so many educators that there is almost bound to be one that we dislike. From smart comments to complete mutiny, there are a plethora of tactics employed and learned by students against the teacher. No, it doesn 't end with public school either. As soon as you get out and actually start making money, the government starts taking their share or more. This by itself is enough to irk many people, however, it gets really interesting when that money starts to be used for purposes that the taxpayer doesn 't agree with. Such was the case with Henry David Thoreau. His "civil disobedience" was to not pay taxes that were going to the war against Mexico which he did not agree with. He spent a night in jail for his insubordination. A huge part of why this text has stuck around like it has is the universal theme that it carries. Everyone from the elite to the middle class to the poverty stricken can find some experience in their past where they were coerced into something they didn 't agree with and had to deal with it. Thoreau 's observations