Civil Disobedience

"We love eloquence for its own sake, and not for any truth which it may utter, or any heroism it may inspire."
I personally agree with Thoreau's statement. I think that he states an important truth about human nature in this quote-our love of finery. While this finery is obviously pretty things like nice furniture, tasty food, etc-I think it also includes the little things-like adding a ribbon to a gift, or putting sprinkles on a cake. We don't love these things because they're useful (sometimes they cause more trouble than they may seem worth), we just simply love them. In the book 1984, Winston finds a paper weight that is pretty to look at. The decorations were pretty but served no real purpose, and yet he still liked.
Obviously Thoreau was not thinking about cake or ribbon, but instead the state of government. By the time the piece was published, America had changed-the ideals of the Patriots were different than those of his time. And yet, from what he describes, the laws are still the same, the expectations are still the same. Everything in the American government is coated with tradition and sentiment. But what's the point of this eloquence? What's the point if everything has changed? Why keep up with the same fancy traditions and rituals in a different environment?
It's not because it offers truth-Thoreau points out that there are laws that men don't agree with, that might be considered tyranny because it is causing civil disobedience. "All men recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable. But almost all say that such is not the case now. But such was the case, they think, in the Revolution of '75." The love of eloquence does not provide truth; by trying to uphold old morals, the truth of what is happening at the current moment is hidden.
The old ideals of America (the old eloquence) bring honor and heroics-standing up to a large enemy and fighting for freedom are considered basic parts of the life of the American solider, for example. There's this thing in America that young people are pushed to be heroic, when some people are simply just there. And there's nothing wrong with that. It was the same in Thoreau's time: "'I should like to have them order me out to help put down an insurrection of the slaves, or to march to Mexico."' But are these young people aspiring to be heroes by upholding old American ideals? Or are they just trying to have people see them as such?
Clearly, we must just love eloquence. We love the idea of an America that stands true, one would say, to the ideas and heart that it had at it's beginning. Even though times have changed, overall the meaning behind America, the beliefs in freedom and equality for all are still important. But these ideals are not often met. Who knows if they ever will be? So we continue to love this eloquence just because we can. Our love of what some consider too good to be true, too idealistic, not useful, is important. It's our own civil disobedience.