Can Any Form of Violence be Considered Just?

Violence, in my opinion, is completely backward, barbaric, and an unintelligent approach to resolving disputes. Call me an idealist, but it saddens me to think that in this day and age we continue to live in a world where war and violence are still resorted to and viewed as the most viable ways to resolve issues and bring about peace. This is the 21st century and we’re still fighting other nations in armed combat like the ancient Romans did thousands of years ago instead of resolving our issues peacefully by talking with one another and coming up with nonviolent solutions to our problems. Man has advanced a great deal since ancient times; we have eradicated many practices considered barbaric or inhumane, such as sacrifices and torture, yet war and violence are still widely accepted. Several other students on the blog have put forth the notion that violence breeds violence, and I happen to agree with this idea as well. My views on violence tend to lean more towards the “Eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”/peaceful resistance school of thought. Violence doesn’t accomplish anything. In fact, I believe it stagnates progress in most instances and leads to violent retaliation and resent. Take WWI for example. It started with the death of one man (Archduke Franz Ferdinand), which eventually led to the deaths of nearly 20 million people by the end of the war. It also ended up spurring a great deal of hostility within Germany in the war’s aftermath, which led to its even more catastrophic sequel, WWII.

Saying that violence will resolve an issue or bring about peace is like saying that the more people you hurt or kill, the more peace it will bring in the end. This is a rather illogical way of thinking because peace (at least I believe) can only be achieved through peaceful measures. Violence is and never should be (except in a few instances, as I will explain) the answer. It is unjustifiable in most cases. The only instance where I believe violence is justifiable is when a person’s life is being threatened through physical force or violence. In a scenario where a person is being physically attacked and their life is in grave danger, I believe it is justifiable to resort to violence – but only insofar as violence being used as a mechanism to defend one’s life. Under this reasoning I would sympathize with the Allmeseri, simply because their lives and well-being were being threatened and infringed upon. Crossing the middle passage was a matter of life and death for many Africans who unwillingly embarked on the journey. The Africans taken into captivity and forced onto slave ships had their well-being compromised physically either directly through violence inflicted upon them by their captors, or indirectly by their captors who provided them with inhumane living quarters where death due to disease or unsanitary living conditions was commonplace. Although it is not the best way to get things accomplished, violence is sometimes necessary if it means defending one’s life against the life-threatening violence of others. In my opinion, the Allmeseri resorted to violence only because they saw no other way to protect their well-being through peaceful measures, so I can identify with their choice to resort to violence in the end, although I am a firm believer in avoiding violence at all costs.