Politics Aside

Perhaps my favorite quote in Walden so far is found in The Village. Thoreau states “I was seized and put into jail, because, as I have elsewhere
related, I did not pay a tax to, or recognize the authority
of, the State which buys and sells men, women, and children, like cattle at the door of its senate-house.” This quote jumped out to me in particular because I have always been a proponent of criticizing the US government. However, this quote runs a bit deeper than just a man’s political stance that rests within the confines of American politics. Thoreau is someone who believes himself to be above politics. He demonstrates by stating that he does not recognize a governing body. To that end, he does not recognize any authoritative body. This is self-evident in his refusal to pay a single tax to the government. What is more interesting is that he does not care if he is jailed for this crime. I would imagine that I would feel very shaken up about being put in jail. However, Thoreau is somebody who promotes civil disobedience and does not have a need to be concerned about the consequences.