Most recent public comments by Ronan Looney https://nowcomment.com/users/90038 https://nowcomment.com/documents/236670?scroll_to=2148289 https://nowcomment.com/documents/236670?scroll_to=2148289 What the government did at the time with the colonization of the west is very complex. While it was individuals who did things they did so under the protect of government. As people settled the west the government waged war to remove Natives and gain sovereignty of the western lands. Who does what is a very complex question and Thoreau does not treat it with the full complexity the matter needs. Tue, 27 Oct 2020 22:54:35 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/236670?scroll_to=2148231 https://nowcomment.com/documents/236670?scroll_to=2148231 This line is following a rant by Thoreau discussing the general inaction of the people. In the line itself he asks why a government even a republic will fight to prevent its citizens from questioning its failures. Currently many governments both have laws against spreading misinformation about the current virus and are many have failed dealing with the virus itself leading to many deaths. While it in most democratic societies are not used to silence the people and protect the current government. In authoritarian nations like China or others it is not used sparingly to help save the lives of the people but to protect the power of those in power. Any government, organization or person will have flaws and can be reformed but much of those in charge of it will be unable to. Because of the troubles with understanding what can change it is the duty of everyone to both do better and try to help change those around you to better themselves through constructive critism. Tue, 20 Oct 2020 16:20:57 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/236670?scroll_to=2147909 https://nowcomment.com/documents/236670?scroll_to=2147909 This sentence is very characteristic of the Romantic idea of individualism. The Romantic idea of individualism is that all which is good has come from individual actions and has only been hindered by the unnatural outside forces. Thoreau is trying to convince people of how the government is harmful to the forces of progress. In the Romantic world view the only correct things are man and nature with government only helping a minority at the expense of the majority. When can you claim to have done something? Can we claim that fascism is the best form of government because the jet engine was invented under Nazi Germany? or should we instead credit the individuals who invented it despite the anti-science nature of their government. Tue, 20 Oct 2020 13:42:16 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/225810?scroll_to=2047896 https://nowcomment.com/documents/225810?scroll_to=2047896 In the situation they are negotiating a treaty and the ability to freely go to their family graves was an essential clause in the treaty. While he is passionate he is not trying to be aggressive he is instead trying to set an essential requirement for him to sign the treaty. In the modern day we see molest as extremely negative however at the time it was less negative. In this case it was just referring to the ability to move through the U.S. from their reservation to visit their ancestor's graves. Wed, 16 Sep 2020 12:36:50 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/225810?scroll_to=2047842 https://nowcomment.com/documents/225810?scroll_to=2047842 The term molestation was less negative and simply meant harassed. The term especially in the form of Native Americans and the treaties made with them just meant that they could leave a reservation and go to the graves of their family. Or in other words they were just asking to have a permanent passport/visa to go back to their land for religious and spiritual reasons. Wed, 16 Sep 2020 12:29:18 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/225810?scroll_to=2047508 https://nowcomment.com/documents/225810?scroll_to=2047508 The use of every shows the uniformity of the nature of the land in its importance and "hallowed" shows that the land has a religious value and further emphasizes the importance given to the land by Chief Seattle Mon, 28 Sep 2020 22:11:51 -0400