The Pros And Cons Of Nonviolent Resistance

In recent years, global protests have increasingly gained notoriety. From shutting down highways to taking over airport runways, various tactics have been used to invoke change. One common thread has linked all of these demonstrations, despite cause, is the debate on the amount of influence their resistance holds. Although there are many ways to fight unjust laws, renowned activist have advocated for a nonviolent approach to fighting injustice. However, nonviolent actions are a passive form of opposition that are counterproductive and offers one approach to the complex political issues that plague society. Therefore, peaceful resistance negatively affects a free society by creating several harmful implications that work against progression.
One of the purposes of nonviolence is to invoke sympathy and understanding from the oppressor. However, this implies that an oppressed group is obligated to feel compassion for their oppressor. By emotionally invalidating the oppressed, they are further silenced for their frustration and resentment from being denied rights, while continuously facing unjust laws. Malcolm X highlighted this double standard in a 1964 speech pointing out that “as long as a white man does it, it's alright . . . But when a black man strikes back he's an extremist, he's supposed to sit passively and have no feelings, be nonviolent, and love his enemy no matter what kind of attack, verbal or otherwise, he's supposed to take it”. Compliance with unjust laws and resistance cannot exist
While not ideal, violence holds more power than peaceful resistance and can be one of the few tools subjugated groups have to obtain change. In 1966, Martin Luther King Jr. described riots as “the language of the unheard”. This is illustrated by the 1992 Los Angeles riots that ensued after the acquittal of the policemen who brutally assaulted Rodney King. The eruption of violence was a direct result of the continued silencing of complaints of racial profiling and unfair treatment at the hands of the police. After being silenced, the black community used the only option they had left, and they were heard. The event lead to an investigation of the allegations against the Los Angeles police department and eventual changes. This shows that riots are a pivotal part of the evolution of society.
Another ramification of peaceful resistance lies in the terminology itself. Although peaceful resistance is described as the practice of achieving goals without using violence, peace is defined as free from disturbance and resistance as armed or violent opposition. However, this definition is a paradox; a society cannot have peace and resistance concurrently because they are opposing forces. Therefore, no resistance should be deemed peaceful and should seek to disrupt the social norm by any means necessary instead of conform to approaches considered