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. In this excerpt from “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau, why does Thoreau compare the American government to a wooden gun?
A)to indicate that it can harm others easily
B)to indicate that it is a part of nature
C)to indicate that it has only the appearance of power
D)to indicate that it is likely to burn to the ground