The only thing you have to do in this world free essay sample

My father once told me, The only thing you have to do in this world is die and pay taxes. Thoreau didnt pay his for 6 years and was placed in jail for a period of one night and even then he believed that he was freer than the townsmen. My professor and I spoke about Thoreaus essay, Resistance to Civil Government, that he wrote in his over night stay in jail and came to the conclusion that we have a disagreement on a few items. My professor disagrees with Thoreau for based on what we have talked about and read he believes that the goal of a good government are the most basic and fundamental principles that help the country. If a country does not have these there is no control or laws on which one may need to follow in order to have a successful government. Our legal system was made so that we could enforce change. We will write a custom essay sample on The only thing you have to do in this world or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If we choose to to ignore this there is no progress in government. I have only a few agreements in Thoreaus essay and that is on his refusal on paying the church and his opinion on voting. I agreed with Thoreau in the matter of not paying taxes and that is only because he refused to pay the church that he did not even attend, but they demanded a payment. I wouldnt want to be paying for something, or in this case someplace, that I do not use or go to. In both cases of paying the church and the six years of poll taxes in which he refused to pay someone else did for him. I disagree with this person(s) who did this for him for I believe that one should pay for their bills and when they do not they go to collections or in this case jail and stay there until it is paid. For Thoreaus opinion on voting he states, Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it.(Thoreau 12) Thoreau saw voting as a gamble. He also saw it as whether the majority will be right or wrong. When I use to vote, I assumed that I was voting for the right person based on what was told to me and presented to me given the circumstances and available options, but I also accept that who I saw as wrong might be in office only because the majority voted that way. I believed that when voting I could choose the best from the worst. As Thoreau has stated, They take too much time, and a mans life will be gone (Thoreau 20), meaning voting is slow and often ineffective to bring about change for there may be little left to be changed. In the film, Do Not Resist by Director Craig Atkinson, a city council meeting on August 12, 2013 was filmed in Concord, New Hampshire on the voting and purchasing of a Bearcat. The citizens of Concord made statements to the City Council that purchasing a Bearcat was not necessary or even needed there. One citizen even said, So the idea that we should have that just because its free money. Its not free money. Its all of our money and its more then just all of our money. Its debt. And debt is a form of slavery. The more this country goes into debt. The heavier the chains on all of us. (16:14-54) Heavy huh? Makes you think about when someone in politics says its free why not get it. I go into question mode. Where did the money come from then? Is it a fund put in by others? Did you put on a fundraiser to get these items that you are stating are free but then find out its federal government money and then a light bulb goes on and its not longer free money cause its tax money that we as hard working citizens put into and so WE are buying this so-called free Bearcat. Both of us agree that there is a need to reform the government and the means of accomplishing it is Both of us want a better government and to do so one must talk instead of just letting it happen. If a law is broken, a person must accept the consequences, which may be the penalty of jail time.