Heroism 101

In July of 1846, Henry David Thoreau refused to pay his back taxes because he did not wish to aid the federal government in what he believed to be an ignorant war (the Mexican-American War) and an immoral practice (slavery). He was imprisoned for this refusal for one night. Unlike most of us, Thoreau had a definite personal right to neglect his tax payments. After all, he spent the better part of two years attempting to live completely off the grid, sustaining himself entirely without the aid of any government services or even a regular paycheck. On the day after his imprisonment, his aunt paid his taxes (against his will), and he was released.

So what does Thoreau's so-called "civil disobedience" teach us? To shirk responsibility? To stick it to the man so we can impress others with our counter-cultural politics and special interests? To draw attention to ourselves in any and every way we can, no matter the cost or complications to the authorities? I think not. After all, there was no Internet in 1846, no Fox News (thank the Lord), no New York Times, and not even a Colbert Report. Instead, there was just a man who refused to support something he deemed to be fundamentally wrong, a man who was willing to be incarcerated to retain his moral integrity. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what heroism's all about. Here, I'll let Kal-El explain it...

So, what are you all doing out there?

For humanity's sake, I hope it's something heroic.