“Now, what are they? Men at all? Or small movable forts and magazines, at the service of some unscrupulous man in power? Visit the Navy-Yard, and behold a marine, such a man as an American government can make, or such as it can make a man with its black arts – a mere shadow and reminiscence of humanity, a man laid out alive and standing, and already, as one may say, buried, under arms with funeral accompaniments, though it may be.”

What this quote is saying is that a man who blindly follows orders is no longer a man. When someone only does what they are told by some person in power they have never met and who has no moral grounding, they lose any element of humanity they may have had in the first place. He uses the American soldier as an example. He is saying that the American government has created people using “black arts” or evil ways. He is also saying that people not taking any responsibility for the laws that they agree to follow is the main reason it is even possible to create a soldier. When men have respect for a set of laws without even thinking about what they have respect for, you end up with a group of people who will do whatever they are told and are therefore less human than those who actually consider their actions and strive to do what is right. He is also saying that men should expect to have the right to do what they feel is moral.

I chose this quote because it deals with the dangers of not committing civil disobedience at a time when someone may see it is necessary. I agree that people, especially people who claim to be free, have a responsibility to think for themselves and think about how their actions infringe on the freedoms of others. A failure to do so results in a society of mindless drones at the service of and loyal to a power they have never seen or met and only has its own best interests at heart. This is why Thoreau argues that we not only have an interest in committing civil disobedience, but also an obligation.  I also agree that being free and thinking for yourself makes you more of a human being than mindlessly following a set of rules imsply because it is more convenient and comfortable.

 

Christian Arguments against Slavery

Benjamin Lay was a Quaker who was avidly against slavery and did much through his writing and actions to speak out against slavery. He is best known for writing a book entitled, All Save-Keepers that Keep The Innocent in Bondage, Apostates, which he wrote and published without seeking the proper approval from his community. He also publically declared that the principals in this book were based on Quaker principals without permission which at the time was a serious crime. He was also known for giving a talk during a “Meeting for Worship” or a Quaker service, going into great detail about the evils of slavery. This talk ended with him stabbing a bible with a sword. The bible was rigged so that red juice would come out making it appear that the bible was bleeding. His intention was to symbolize the fact that blood was on Quakers hands for not taking a stronger stance against slavery. As a result he was disowned by his community shortly after. This is related to our reading this week for two reasons. The first reason is that his actions are good examples of civil disobedience. He broke the rules of his community intentionally because he felt they were immoral and willingly accepted the consequences in order to make a point. The reason civil disobedience makes such a big impact is because you are willing breaking a rule. Willingly accepting the consequences is also part of the point. It distinguishes the offender from those committing crimes for personal gain or out of passion by showing that you are willing to make a sacrifice for the sake of doing the right thing. It is also related to our reading this week because like Thoreau, he felt that the people had an obligation to correct laws in their own society that are immoral. He put the blood on the hand of any Quaker who did not take a stance the same way Thoreau felt people who passively accept immoral laws are almost just as much a part of the problem.

 

Slave Stealer Branded

Jonathan Walker was a ship captain who was known for treating slaves and free black people around him with the respect of equals. He was arrested for trying to help seven runaway slaves escape to freedom by using his boat to sail to neutral territory somewhere in the Bahamas. This was a crime because at the time, any runaway slave was supposed to be returned to his or her owner. It was considered stealing someone’s personal property. As a result of committing this crime the U.S. government had his branded with the letters “S.S.” which stood for “Slave Stealer.” He was also jailed for fifteen days which is how long it took for supporters of his pay off a $150 fine. A group of abolitionists even raised money to take care of his family during his imprisonment. This relates to the lecture this week because it is another example of civil disobedience. He saw a certain law as unjust, the law being the right for white Americans to own slaves, and decided to take action against that law. In helping slaves escape he was taking away the legal right for the owners of those slaves to keep their property. He put his life at risk for the sake of freedom. He also risked his family’s safety not knowing that people would step up and help them as well.