Journal #26 - Breaking the Rules

There are many times that it is acceptable for the rules to be broken. I mean, rules were meant to be broken, so lets have a party. Obviously if breaking a rule will save a person's life, then it should be broken. If there was a rule that you had to throw knives at all Chicago Blackhawks fans, I would obviously choose to break that rule. It is also acceptable to break a rule when it conflicts with a personal interest or belief. In Thoreau's case, he felt insecure with the state of the national government, which was why he spoke out by protesting the poll tax. He did not agree with the Mexican-American War, which was why he ended up spending a night in jail until one of his friends could bail him out. NHL goaltender Tim Thomas was a part of the Stanley Cup winning Boston Bruins, and when they were invited to the White House to meet the President, he chose not to go. He believed that our government system was corrupt and that the corruption occurred on every level, not just by the president. He also stated that his decision had nothing to do with his political party, as he believed that both parties were equally responsible for the corruption. He chose to break the rules set forth by the team, and he was not reprimanded for his actions. A big deal was not made of his actions and everyone moved on, even though he clearly made a choice that was against the normal decision that should have been made. That is a perfect example of how there is a time and a place for breaking rules, and if done correctly, there aren't always consequences for breaking rules. Whenever I break rules, I always am the first person to get into trouble. It doesn't matter what I do, I can't ever get away with anything. I personally try not to break rules, but there is definitely a time and a place for everything.