Blog Post 7

Thomas Paine and his theories written in Common Sense provide a good example of justifying violence. Paine uses words and wisdom to sway his audience on his side. Being an activist allows Paine to provide his people with even more evidence of justifying violence. In Chapter 12, “Radical activists not only see violence as a moral striving but also a claim they are acting according to the bible.” Paine uses many scripture readings directly from the bible to provide a more truthful stand to his audience. Although Paine was not directly in war, his movement caused a violent war: The American Revolution. As noted also in chapter 12, “violence must be the final strategy chosen to promote or resist change”.

Chapter thirteen outlines four examples of violence: direct violence, symbolic violence, coercive persuasion and terrorism. I believe the Sit-In protests fit in best with symbolic violence. The sit-in protest were an example of strategically gaining attention from their audience; the white crowd. The colored people would sit in a lunch counter and get made fun of, get food put on them and constantly get bullied. The only way the colored people would move is if there was a force that made them. They were using no direct violence, just a symbolic violence in order for their audience to pay attention. There was nothing wrong with what these people were doing. They were sticking up for what they deserved and in no more it should be considering terrorism.

Violence is most definitely the answer. There has never been a social movement as successful as one that involves violence. The American Revolution was fought and gave us Americans the greatest thing we could ever earn: Freedom. The Civil Rights movement has come a long way but with no violence ever being involved from one side, the blacks still get treated unfairly.