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pros and cons of nonviolent resistance
effectiveness of nonviolence
effectiveness of nonviolence
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Final Examination It has been said that war is a continuation of policy by other means, as we have seen over the past semester there exists a vast variety of ways for these other means to be carried out. With every form of warfare examined there has been one striking similarity amongst the group, all types of warfare aim to bring about some form of change. Whether that be a societal, political, or economic change all designs of warfare aim to bring about a number of these changes. Nonviolent resistance may not be the first to mind when the term warfare is discussed, though given some inspection it can be reasonable to think of it in this way. Just like the other forms of warfare, nonviolent resistance too shares the common goal to produce a change by some other means. In fact, over the course of history this form of warfare has achieved far greater success when pitted against dictatorships than violent warfare ever would have. The workings of a nonviolent struggle are in many ways more complex that those of violent warfare. A nonviolent struggle requires a great deal more planning, commitment, and discipline to be I whole-heartedly agree with Mr. Sharp and am convinced that nonviolent resistance is a form of warfare. The past has shown us that a nonviolent struggle is a justifiable form of attack when faced with an overbearing dictatorship as an enemy. The resistance has the same intentions a violent campaign would have, just a different way to complete the objective. Both as discussed wish to create some economic, political, or social change in their society. A nonviolent resistance most often thought of for toppling a dictatorship is the only choice an oppressed people have to fight back. This being said there is no way to think of nonviolent resistance as anything other than
...able to showcase the great power that nonviolence could have on the world and how by using methods such as that one would be more successful than if one used violence. As Mahatma Gandhi once said “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.”
By using diction and repetition, Cesar Chavez emphases the need to use nonviolence during moments of injustice. The rhetorical choices made in this argument draw forth feelings of understanding and cause the readers to think deeper into Chaves' point of view. The purpose is to carry a message that shows the power of nonviolence and what it brings to the world. People quickly follow the straight, bloody path of force and violence, rather than thinking deeper in search for the winding yet cleaner path. As human beings, we crave the freedom and power we believe was bestowed upon us by God. We will fight tooth and nail, even threw the deaths of many, in order to achieve these trivial things.
Chavez also states that non violence lets you “stay on the offensive” which also exemplifies the significance of a nonviolent movement. He also is morally appealing to his religious audience by discussing those who are “truly concerned” about a movement, will stick to nonviolence and not turn to the side of violence. This then forces the audience to feel relation to the good people, as they view themselves as a good person, and thusly side with nonviolence. He also uses powerful word choices to exemplify the superiority of nonviolence that connect with his American audience such as “democracy” and “freedom.” He then contrasts this with the “most vicious type of oppression,” violence. Chavez wants the working farmers to unite and protest, yet he wants them to do it peacefully, yet he is aware that “we are not blind to feelings of frustration,” and how they must search and achieve “balance” to achieve their goals. His powerful descriptions of nonviolence as a “nearly perfect instrument” contrasted with “those who espouse violence exploit people,” strengthens the support gained from the reader by the moral guilt of violence. Chavez’s compelling and forceful diction further provokes the reader and illuminates the upside of nonviolence and the harsh consequences and cons of violence, which increases the motivation to join the working farmers movement and unify behind a nonviolent
It has been debated though out history whether or not nonviolence “works”. Many societies, and this without question includes the United States, have mostly relied on violent tactics. Many people believe that violence is the only way to stop wars, even though it creates war, and people tend to believe that violence is the one solution to many global and political problems. However, recent literature and research is starting to prove otherwise. Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist, recently published a book, Why Civil Resistance Works in 2011. The research highlights data that shows throughout history, nonviolent tactics are more effective than violent ones in various ways.
Gandhi once said “An eye for an eye and the whole world is blind.” This is true in most circumstances but there are exceptions. By comparing acts of nonviolent civil disobedience with acts of violent civil disobedience it is apparent that force or violence is only necessary to combat violence but never if it effects the lives of the innocent. A recurrent theme in each of these examples is that there is a genuine desire to achieve equality and liberty. However, one cannot take away the liberties of others in order to gain their own. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that political change would come faster through nonviolent methods and one can not argue his results as many of the Jim Crow laws were repealed. Similarly, through nonviolent resistance Gandhi was able to eventually free India from the rule of Britain. It is true that sometimes the only way to fight violence is through violence, but as is apparent, much can be said of peaceful demonstrations in order to enact change. Thus, it is the responsibility of we as individuals to understand that nonviolence is often a more viable means to an end than violence.
As Dr. King stated in Letter from A Birmingham Jail, “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. I must confess that I am not afraid of the word, tension. I have earnestly worked and preached against violent tension, but there is a type of constructive tension that is necessary for growth. The purpose of direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.” Such as in the case of the 1969 student site-in against the Vietnam W...
The phrase “militant nonviolence” used to describe the type of protest that Chavez wishes his followers to perform conveys a message to organize in military like peaceful protests, in order to successfully
There are many different ways human beings deal with oppression. In his book, Stride Toward Freedom, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. expresses how people handle oppression in three characteristic ways. Acquiescence, violence, or nonviolent resistance are ways the oppressed deal with their oppressors. In King's excerpt, he expresses that nonviolent resistance is the morally and correct way of dealing with oppression. King believed it was only through nonviolent resistance that things would begin to change for the oppressed.
"Lesson 3 :: Non-Violence and Mass Civil Disobedience « Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
types of nonviolent actions from not just the leaders, but the ones who follow them, show a true
The most familiar type of nonviolence in our time is that of civil disobedience. Martin Luther King Jr. and fellow civil rights activists practice this in the 1960's. King preached that those oppressed must never fall to the level of the oppressors and result to physical violence. King believed in nonviolent protest such as marches, sit-ins and freedom rides. He felt that "if repressed emotions do not come out in these nonviolent ways, they will come out in ominous expressions of violence. This is not a threat; it is a fact of history" (King, preface). He considered these acti...
Nonviolence provides the opportunity to stay off of the offensive, and this is of crucial importance to win any contest.” (lines 12-16). Also, repetition is found throughout the passage when he mentions the detrimental effects a violent resistance can produce. The repetition of the word nonviolence followed by things that result from it allows him to emphasize the importance of nonviolence and implant the ideals of nonviolence in the audience's mind to cause them to further consider the topic of non violence. This argument can sway the reader to agree with him and further asserts his opinion that nonviolence is the correct way to go about an issue. By utilizing this strategy, Chavez stresses non violence to his audience and achieves his purpose of bringing attention the the success and essentiality of non-violence gaining the support of his audience.
In Martin Luther King’s essay “The Ways of Meeting Oppression” and in the text “Nonviolence”, the term nonviolence is explained as a technique for social struggle. On the other hand, in the reading “The Black Panther Party for Self- Defense” it is stated that this social struggle doesn’t always carry the same meaning with the term nonviolence. As I agree with Black Panther’s idea, in my essay, I am going to discuss the extent that the black panthers’ resort to violence is justifiable.
The year was 1986 and the people of the Philippines were being oppressed by their elected president turned Dictator Ferdinand Marcos for twenty years. And a four-day series of non-violent mass demonstrations toppled Marcos dictatorship. It was a series of popular non violent revolutions and prayerful mass street demonstrations in the Philippines that occurred in 1986, which marked the restoration of the country's democracy. Non violent resistance is the best method to peacefully attain social change in times of political oppression. Non violent resistance is just one teaching of Mahatma Gandhi that was used by the people of Philippine in their times of political oppression and is evident throughout the Philippine revolution of 1986 which helped the country restore democracy.
While using violence to counteract violence may seem like a contradiction of sorts it is possibly the only recourse for the oppressed. It is impossible to create a formula of what works and doesn’t work in terms of emancipation because it is highly dependent on the particular situation but it is quite apparent that counterviolence is a necessary tool in this struggle. As we have seen, violence is not the only tool in liberation; the reconstruction of human ethics and perceptions is as, or more, important. Furthermore, it has been shown that sometimes nonviolence can create systemic change and that violence is not always applicable. Other times, violence is the only means to achieve true human emancipation.