Post IV: “Civil Disobedience”

Civil Disobedience means to not pay taxes or bills or follow certain laws to create a peaceful form of protest. Throughout history there have been many different moments to create present day. Henry David Thoreau created a book on Civil Disobedience. This novel criticizes the American social institutions and policies. It also talks about slavery in America and the Mexican American war. Thoreau is a very big transcendentalist and he did not believe in government or laws. He believed that all of it was useless and that the majority has more power then they will ever have. He thought this because it is the strongest group they will ever have but not because they hold a good view point. “I was not designed to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest.” (Henry David Thoreau, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience). This is a very important saying that describe most of what he was trying to explain through the book. He believes that the thought of transcendentalism is  a new way of life and could be better than the way people are living under a locked down society. He wanted to escape from that and create more of a free life for those who wanted it and would work for it.

“An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law” is  a quote written by Martin Luther King Jr.  Martin Luther King Jr. was man trying to create freedom and peace between two races. He went above and beyond to make a difference in this world. He like many other dark skinned people at the time were being treated very unfairly by the lighter colored people and they were very tired of it. Him and many others did not follow the laws or rights because they wanted to create that freedom for millions of  people who feel the same, and in order to do that they had to step outside of their comfort zone and do what was right to change history. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau were very alike because they both believe in a new way of living. they did not only do this for themselves but for many people that believe in the same rights as them.  They both represented many aspects of a Transcendentalist.