The Government vs. Conscience

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Recommended: Comments And Questions About Civil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau

The Government vs. Conscience The American government has done several things to go against people’s conscience and morals. They no longer work ‘for the people.’ The government is constantly bribed by the men who have the most money. Albert Einstein’s quote, “ Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it,” is an accurate representation of how I live my life. The government can not govern me with rules that go against my conscience and morals. Thoreau, Dove, and Turkel all support this idea of dealing with the government. The government should not be interfering with our personal lives. They also should not discriminate against a certain type of person (ex: race, gender, sexual orientation). Lastly the government should not be allowed to bribe people with money nor be bribed by money. One of my main issues with the government is they are too involved with people’s private lives. There should not be laws pronounced only because of the sole reason of there being a majority vote. We should not have to vote on a personal/private matter. The government does not allow us to rule ourselves. We are not allowed to use our conscience. They overrule us. In Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience from Part I” he states, “ It is truly enough said that a corporation has no conscience, but a corporation of conscientious men is a corporation with a conscience.” This is arguably interpreted as the government thinks for us. They do not leave it to ‘the people.’ Also Thoreau states the following, "Now what are they? Men at all? Or small movable forts and magazines, at the service of some unscrupulous man in power?" The government puts men in war who did not wish to be there. They should leave it to the men and women who volunteer. We ar... ... middle of paper ... ...ge. To not put their whole trust entirely on them. Lovejoy is a great example of an american who stood for what he believed in, even if it meant going against the government, just like Rosa, Thoreau and many others. We, as the people must learn to stand up for ourselves, like the many who have came before us. We cannot be overruled by the government. They are too involved in our personal daily lives. They also discriminate against many people, and they are always searching for more power and money. We cannot let them take our humanity and not allow us to use our conscience. We must not allow the wrong men to be in charge. Know the true facts before judging. Do not believe everything they say, it may not be the truth. The government has ceased to work ‘for the people,’. And with that I leave you with the following question, will you stand up for what you believe in?

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