Julius Ceaser Act 1

#4 Positive change can be brought about through violence

Violence: MURDER, ABUSE, RAPE, EMOTIONAL, HARMFUL, TRAUMATIC, DELIBERATE.  These are just some of the synonymous terms that come to mind when hearing this dreadful word.

The first lesson we are taught since we were first able to interact with others was that, “violence is never the answer,” and yet we are still faced with situations in the world today, where people are being targeted and harmed for the personal gain of others. Yet through all these instances of crime and negative events, there are people using violence for good. A positive change can be brought about through violence if a diplomatic solution has been attempted and failed. We have seen this happen many times throughout history: where using violence has helped save lives and given people independence and freedom. We will look at some of these events throughout the next few paragraphs.

 The first way in which using violence can produce a positive outcome is: using it to defend yourself against a dangerous attack. (Following mathematical rules, “two negatives make a positive”) If you are being threatened, and no diplomatic resolution can be found, then sometimes violence is the only defence you have against harming yourself.  Depending on which side you support in a war, violence fighting violence is usually viewed as a positive decision. During WWII, Adolph Hitler wanted to take over the world and massacre the entire Jewish population. World leaders attempted to reason with the Nazi party leader however these negotiations failed and without an opposition entering the war and contributing to the violence, the world as we know it today would not have existed.  Countless more lives would have been lost under Hitler’s perfectionist ideals and dictatorship if violence had not been used to stop Nazi troops from taking over Europe. A less extreme example of this same concept is bullying. If a child is being harassed and bullied there is only so many instances that they will attempt to reason with a bully and politely ask them to stop before they must stand up for themselves and shoe the bully that they will not put up with the abuse any longer. If this takes a few punches to reinforce this lesson, then so be it. Although violence may not be the ideal way to solve a problem, if someone is being attacked and a peaceful resolution is not an option, a positive change can be achieved from violence fighting violence.

The second instance in which violence can solve problems is when people are suffering from oppression. This scenario has happened most often in history where citizens are fighting a country ruled through a dictatorship or irresponsible government. In the case of American Revolution, the British government heavily taxed their American colonists on items such as tea, stamps, molasses, and sugar. The Government believed that they could treat some of their citizens in this way because the Americans were too far away from England to be able to stand up for their rights. As well all the extra money made by the taxes were used to build and upgrade the infrastructure in Great Britain. These intolerable acts along with a few other key points lead the American Colonists to rebel for their independence from an irresponsible government who would not read their letters of grievances or treat them with respect. Unfortunately these types of problems are still faced by people today.  A more recent example was the Egyptian revolution that happened two years ago when mobs of people showed up in downtown Cairo and rioted trying to force their dictator of over 40 years to step down for the coming re-election. The destruction and carnage was horrible with the military fighting against its crudely armed civilians, however a victory for the Egyptian people was secured and the dictator removed from power. There were many positive outcomes from this violence. The Egyptian’s finally are able to have a more responsible government, who will look out for their needs and help solve the poverty crisis that is prominent in Egypt. Another positive outcome is that other countries such as Libya and Syria took the initiative that the Egyptians had set and started their own revolution to help rid themselves of their dictators like Muammar Gaddafi. When a person has taken away your right to free speech then the only other way to react is through use of physical force. As we have seen throughout history this has created some positive life changing scenarios.

In conclusion, violence is a major cause of heartbreak and pain and usually creates more problems than it can solve. However in extreme cases of oppression or abuse, violence can be used to achieve a positive outcome. As we have seen in the past dictators have been stopped or taken down from their seats of power through the use of violent force, yet the positive benefits for the society escaping that oppressive rule are numerous. It is up to the individual person to determine whether or not violence is the best way to solve their problem and to try and find a more peaceful solution first.