We have been discussing non-violent strategies, responses, and options all semester. I think that we are evolving as a country as years pass and as such what used to work for us may no longer do so and vice versa. Some laws that used to be implemented in the cases of women’s or civil rights are obviously not applicable or acceptable in by our countries standards anymore. As such I think that it is important for us to take on a more relaxed or modifiable attitude as differences with issues that arise as we continue to progress and evolve.
We brought up a sort of continuum and scale of what is considered to be non-violent ways on a four-point scale: way of life, strategy, technique and unreflexive action. I think that this poses an issue when possibly teaching or learning about non-violent options. I think that non-violence can be and should be more than one of these things at a time and I also don’t think that some should be held at a higher standard than another and so putting it on a scale places positive and negative connections with some and not others. Non-violent ways are strategic because it there is an ultimate goal or message that wants to be addressed and for that I don’t think that there is anything wrong with admitting to that premeditation. Yes, being innately peaceful and non-violent is something that people can strive to be, but using non-violence as a method is helping to promote further of those movements and not promoting violence and as such I think no matter what form it takes it is still an admirable attempt to be taken.