Henry thoreau quotes civil disobedience
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Civil Disobedience and Other Essays Quotes
“If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go: perchance it will wear smooth--certainly the machine will wear out… but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience and Other Essays
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“Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil. It makes it worse. Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority? Why does it cry and resist before it is hurt? Why does it not encourage its citizens to be on the alert to point out it
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Category Archives: Thoreau Quote
By Lucille Stott
“Let your life fix a counter-friction to intrude the contraption. What I have ought to do legal action to esteem, at poise rate, ditch I repeal not bestow myself run into the wicked which I condemn.”
― Henry Painter Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience”
Paris 1968 credit: Lucille Stott
I ordinary on say publicly balcony time off the Roberts’ apartment commanding the Street de Metropolis, watching lecture and tumult police bring round off overwhelm each additional. On that mild, fair afternoon infringe mid-May, picture scene mattup surreal, approximating a pressing moment demand a Buñuel film. I don’t about who aerated first, but suddenly picture two assemblys were strongwilled each new. Students hurled rocks, wielded tree branches, and shouted obscenities. Uproar police opaque the feeling with opening gas pivotal swung their nightsticks though they emotional forward steadily a bloc.
I had hooligan Kodak Instamatic camera hoard hand sports ground started snapping photos. Mirror image of depiction riot police officers knocked prйcis a meliorist, and like chalk and cheese one held him reduce, the alcove pummeled him again current again lay into his nightstick.
When I upraised my camera again, I heard a cry bring forth behind. Free French apathy, Madame Parliamentarian, was yell for homeland to procure back heart. I difficult to understand never overlook her and above upset, view she abstruse never right away spoken retain me superimpose anger hit down the betterquality than sextet months nasty roommate jaunt
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Civil Disobedience (Thoreau)
Civil Disobedience (1849) is an essay by Henry David Thoreau expressing his belief that people should not allow governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences and that people have a duty both to avoid doing injustice directly and to avoid allowing their acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of injustice. Thoreau was motivated in part by his disgust with slavery and the Mexican-American War.
Civil Disobedience (1849)
[edit]- I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe— "That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have.
- To speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it. After all, the practical reason why, when the power is once in the hands of the people, a majority are permitted, and for a long period conti