Greater Mistake
One of Edmund Burke’s most famous quotes is: “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little”. Throughout history, this quote has applied to numerous events. People have refused to take action because they believe that their single contributions would have no impact. Due to this belief, tragedies have occurred that could have been prevented. Take for instance; the Civil Rights Movement, Jonathan Swift’s “Modest Proposal”, and the Civil War. Had people taken action, the impact of events could have been more beneficial to everyone. Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, the African Americans were fighting for their rights alone. Had Martin Luther King not stepped in, they might have never gained their freedom. He simply could not “sit idly in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham” (King 1). Fearlessly willing to gain equality, he was “able to endure the ordeal of jail” (King)
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People had to endure horrific circumstances. At the time, the government was not addressing its own issues. The people were aware that the government was uninvolved, and did nothing to stop it. Swift believed that if he did not catch the government workers’ attention, then nobody else would have done so. This inspired him to write “A Modest Proposal” which is a satirical and ironic essay about politicians disregarding serious issues. In this essay, he uses an irony to discuss serious issues in Ireland that the government ignores. He compared the issues between Ireland and England to mothers that were “forced to employ all their time forcing to beg sustenance for their helpless infants; who sell themselves to Barbadoes” (Swift 598). Cannibals were not really active in the country, but it illustrated that there were serious, unaddressed issues. While this is a sarcastic writing piece, it is a very real example of how uninvolved the government (and the people)
People had to endure horrific circumstances. At the time, the government was not addressing its own issues. The people were aware that the government was uninvolved, and did nothing to stop it. Swift believed that if he did not catch the government workers’ attention, then nobody else would have done so. This inspired him to write “A Modest Proposal” which is a satirical and ironic essay about politicians disregarding serious issues. In this essay, he uses an irony to discuss serious issues in Ireland that the government ignores. He compared the issues between Ireland and England to mothers that were “forced to employ all their time forcing to beg sustenance for their helpless infants; who sell themselves to Barbadoes” (Swift 598). Cannibals were not really active in the country, but it illustrated that there were serious, unaddressed issues. While this is a sarcastic writing piece, it is a very real example of how uninvolved the government (and the people)