Violence - An Idea Project, by Ed Whitfield

Violence is the outright wish to express ones control, the physical expression of power. It can only create misery and hurt. These are my beliefs of course, and there will be many instances where violence is the final, remaining option.

Within the anti-revolution it is up to the individual to fight for their own freedom, and so it is up to them how they wish to go about it. I cannot say for definite whether or not the governments shall use coercion, and I cannot say for sure how I may react to this if they do. But it is quite probable that it would come to this. And so it is up to the individual to imagine being in such a situation and think about how they would react.

If a people were under complete, authoritarian control, such as many of the Jewish people were during much of World War Two, it would only be natural to organise and fight their way out, for what is the point in succumbing to authority, to remain helpless under another human? And if that human shows you no other option but a gun then take the gun if you so wish, for it is then an isolated situation between two (groups of) people.

But if it was to come to our current governments becoming sick of our ignorance to their authority, our insubordinate behaviour, and they sent out the hounds to keep us in check, in this case I would value the virtues of pacifism. Of course some wouldn't and they would fight back. This is their choice, not mine and so perhaps I would have nothing to do with it. If it is my express will to delete power structures I shall not take any action in such power struggles. Obviously it is not a matter of ignoring the beatings, as it was the persuasive authority, but to believe that the new world, the new reality, for it to last and to bring happiness to all, it must not be born out of violence. And of course if you find yourself in such a situation, and are also able to do so, it would be necessary to protect others, more helpless than yourself.

I also believe there are degrees of violence, and that they depend on what the individual respects or holds dear. I personally believe that life is precious and for a happy world it will take all life living upon the world to be happy. But there are things I do not respect, certain targets that, once an opportunity to not harm a living thing presents itself, and, if apart of a well thought out plan, may be attacked, to make a point and attract attention to certain facts that might just be slipping past under people's noses.

Overall I think that before one ever considers violence as an option they must think about all the angles, the reasons, the points, the outcomes and consequences. If that person hasn't full reasonable conviction to do so it may only backfire and do damage to that persons cause.

As a note I would stand with Ghandi on his point, that violence is only violent when inflicted upon living things and is not violence when inflicted upon inanimate objects.

-- Ed Whitfield, March 2004

Back to An Idea Project Index • More of Ed's Opinion Columns