Nonviolence

Keenan Savage

English 1B

Mrs. Johannsen

April 23, 2012

Non Violence

There is only a few ways to retaliate on your enemy in a non harmful way and nonviolence is one of them. Nonviolence acts has been going on for years now. One of the many famous acts was directed by Martin L. King Jr. years ago. The famous marches, along with the many sit-ins were all examples of nonviolence retaliations. Martin L. King Jr. did not come up with this alone thought. King was inspired by Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” when he read it in college. Thoreau was against violent retaliation also. Thoreau also had a nonviolent stand with his government.

Thoreau did not believe in what his government was doing so therefore he stood up and did something about it. Thoreau took a stand point when his government started the Mexican War. He did not believe in any cause that they were fighting for. His government went to was because they asked Mexico if they could have their land and received the answer “NO.” After that reply his government felt the need to take it by force. Thoreau disagreed with this for many reason. One reason was if they got the land there would have to be people working it which meant slaves. Slavery was another act of crime to Thoreau. Thoreau was known for his motto “That government is best which governs least” (375). During his fight with the government he refused to pay his taxes because of the simple fact that his money was going towards a war which he did not believe in. “If a thousand men were not to pay their tax-bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to commit violence and shed innocent blood” (371). “I have paid no poll-tax for six years. I was put into a jail once on this account, for one night; and, as I stood considering the walls of solid stone, two or three feet thick, the door of wood and iron, a foot thick, and the iron grating which strained the light, I could not...