|
By
J.D. Williams
While our nation has produced dozens of influential
political writers and theorists, undoubtedly the most forceful
writer on the power of one person to make a difference was
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862).
In the 1840s, Thoreau was confronted by two national issues
that he personally found intolerable. Thoreau agonized over
the continued existence of slavery in his country, and he
was adamantly opposed to the United States going to war with
Mexico in 1846. Thoreau's opposition was at odds with the
general mood of the country.
In 1846, Thoreau spent one night in jail for refusing to
pay the expected "poll tax" for voting in Massachusetts. While
local authorities might have concluded the jail sentence would
teach Thoreau a lesson, instead it crystallized his views
on the stand each person must take when faced with a challenge
to their conscience. In his powerful essay, Civil Disobedience,
Thoreau argued that jail was the only place for a freedom-loving
citizen to be when faced with the unacceptable alternatives
of supporting slavery or a national war to expand territory.
Thoreau rejected the notion that a majority of public opinion
on an issue could define the proper course for a nation or
an individual. Majorities, he argued, often could prove to
be unjust. Instead, he urged each individual to stay true
to principle and the just cause.
"Any man more right than his neighbors constitutes a majority
of one already." -- Henry David Thoreau
About J.D. Williams
VoteUtah turned to retired University of Utah political science
professor J.D. Williams to help us understand how one person
can take a stand, charge to action, and even change the system.
Williams, a deeply committed teacher with a lifelong passion
for the U.S. Constitution, touched thousands of lives during
nearly four decades at the University. His students would
graduate to positions of civic and political leadership throughout
the state and the nation. He was one of the founding figures
of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the "U", and his
passionate love of country would inspire students of all political
stripes. While never personally successful in an election,
Williams has had a profound impact on government by touching
young lives. He has made a difference through his dedication.
In a series of short essays throughout this year's political
season, J.D. Williams will remind us of special men and women
who have made a difference. Some of the actions were so profound
that they shaped our nation. Others take the form of personal
commitments that can lead to a fuller sense of self.
Through each story we will find the reminder that one person
can make a difference.
|
