Essay/Term paper: Violence is an appropriate response to racism

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Religion

Violence is an Appropriate Response to Racism


I think that this statment is very negative, as it gives the impression that
violence is the only way to solve things, and it is not.People need to talk
about matters that concern them with the people that are causing the concerns,
doing this wil make dealing with the problem of racism easier. The saying 'two
wrongs don't make a right' is a very appropriate sayingto use in the issue of
racism because racism towards people is wrong and so is violence. When one puts
the two together, to deal with each other,it does not make the situation right.
In fact, it will make the situatin worse because it will cause resentment
between the racist and the victim. There is a quote in the bible, Matthew 5 38-
39 where Jesus speaks about revenge. It reads, "You have heard that it was said,
an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But now I tell you do not take
revenge on someone who wrongs you. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, let
him slap your left cheek too." What this means is, if someone hurts once, do not
respond in a violent manner, turn the other cheek and let them do it again. It
shows that Jesus was against violence. Gandhi said something similar: 'An eye
for an eye and we shall all be blind'. Gandi meant that so mang people hurt
other people that they would end up seriously hurt. Put this teaching into
practise, if someone hurts you once let them do it a secong time is the message
here. The other side to this statement is to agree that racists should be dealt
with in a violent way. In some resects, this is correct because if people have
the mentality to be racist towards another person, they need to be punished, and
if violence fits this sort of punish mentment. People, whatever race they are
have to choice to decide where they live. They deserve to feel comfortable in
their home even if it is not where the majority of their race lives. No one has
the right to speak badly about another human because of the colour of their skin.
They need violence to show them racism is unfair. Racism is somthing very
personal to people as it shows what they believe in Some people prefer to deal
with it in a violent manner, and others prefer ot deal with it in a more subtle
way, for example a discusion. Every person is born into the world as a child of
God, whether they are black or white. It is unfair to discriminate against
people because of the colour of their skin. Everyone is born equal. I have come
to the conclusion that this statement is wrong, due to its negative approach.
Violence does not solve anything, and even though racism is wrong, violence is
just as wrong. Gandhi and Martin Luther King are people in the past who have
acheived alot to cancel out racism without turning to violence. Although it took
them longer to acheive it, in the end less people were hurt so violence does not
pay off.