Read the passage from “Civil Disobedience.” This American government—what is it but a tradition. . . . It is a sort of wooden gun to the people themselves; and, if ever they should use it in earnest as a real one against each other, it will surely split. Why does Thoreau compare the American government to a wooden gun?
a. to indicate that it is likely to burn to the ground
b. to indicate that it can harm others easily
c. to indicate that it is a part of nature
d. to indicate that it has only the appearance of power