Violence

I personally do not believe that violence solves problems, but people chose violence when they do not know any other way to solve a conflict. We are exposed to violence is many different situations and concepts which may lead people to believe that it is a good solution to conflict. I feel that the Allmuseri did not know any other way to gain control and power, because those who had power over them (the white sailors) used  violence to exert their force and power. I believe that in certain situations, such as with the Almuserri when a group does not know how to gain power they will use violence to show their "strength" and that they are serious abou what they are trying to do. In cases such as war, violence is sometimes seen as the last resort or solution. If a group of people will not listen and change, then violence may scare them into it, however this is usually not the case, instead they fight back and the violence continues. When violence begins, people tend to oppose it and fight with more violence. In war, violence does not just affect those in conflict, but other harmless and uninvolved people. I believe violence could be used as a threat to opposing force but that it should not harm anyone, just scare them. Sometimes it may be the last attempt at their cause, but I believe the violence gets taken too far in most situations, such as today with the war in Iraq. For these last resorts of urgent and important change, violence could be necessary and justifiable if it only presented a threat and stopped there, but violence on a large scales always seem to be met with more violence, and they just keep fighting until one side can not fight any longer. I wish that there were other alternatives to violence to get people to change, but I feel that we may never find one.

- Lauren Wencus