Henry David Thoreau- Civil Disobedience (1848)

“Law never mad men a whit more just, and, by means of their respect of it, even the well disposed are daily made the agents of injustice.”

            Through this quote I think Henry David Thoreau wanted to make it clear that laws do not make a person just.  It is by the fear of punishment or repercussions of their unlawful action they choose to follow the law thus making it appear that they are just.  He also says that even those that do the best they can to follow the law are still made up of unfair or wrong actions through fear of punishment rather than respect the law.

            I chose this quote because in a simple statement it explains the meaning of civil disobedience and how strongly Henry David Thoreau believed in it.  I honestly agree with this statement.  I truly believe that people do not have a belief to respect the law but just to obey it so they can prevent punishment and sustain their freedom.

Abraham Lincoln-The Gettysburg Address (1863)

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”