Rhetorical Analysis On Civil Disobedience

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Recommended: Civil Disobedience by Thoreau

Something that is least needed, small or not as important may be something, huge, life-saving and a gift sent from above. Now the government is probably not a gift sent from our father unless it's from our forefathers, but it is rather a system that very well needed in this country. In Henry David Thoreau's famous essay "Civil Disobedience" he writes one of his very well-known verse "government is best which governs least." He talks about how unjust and wrong the government is and how he can't seem to follow his "conscience" during his experiences from going to jail to being a citizen who stopped paying taxes. However, what one forgets to realize is when and why Thoreau had written that quote. During his time, the Mexican-American War had just gone on, and slavery was still prevalent in the south. The government then seemed …show more content…

For Thoreau mentions how many southern government and men "cease to hold slaves" and how many people in his state's government wanted "to make war on Mexico" which was all unnecessary and morally wrong. Though, citizens then connected war to violence the government then saw a possible future for the states that obtained after the Mexican-American War. Just like children who have parents who want best for their sons and daughters, the government and its leaders saw what was best for the nation in the future. With slavery as well, if it weren't for the government's intervention the civil war would've never occurred and the abolishment of slavery would've never happened. Many think that it was the government who approved the slavery, but it was wrong citizens then. Outbursts of political issues even today such as the approval of gay marriages and talks of gun laws for protection are all brought up from the government and resolved by them for the

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