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Examples Of Wooden Gun In Civil Disobedience

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In Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau uses the metaphor “wooden gun” to describe the American government as useless or pointless. If a physical gun is wooden, it would be ineffective in what it is expected to perform. Thoreau says having a government is useless to the people, however, he does believe that a limited government is necessary. A limited government that is available for protection not for governing. Thoreau does not think a government should be abolished rather that government should be limited of its power. A government should only be present as a safety net and not be controlling of the people. Thoreau believes the power should be “in the hands of the people” and protect the country for the benefit of the people. When Thoreau

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