Argumentative Essay On Non Violence

Non-Violence: an Effective Weapon According to the Indian Independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, “Nonviolence is the weapon of the strong.” Many people equate nonviolence with pacifism and believe that violence is the only method with enough power to topple inequality and oppression. However, this is not the case. By the term “nonviolence,” Gandhi did not mean that people should react with passivity and submission. Instead, the nonviolence Gandhi passionately advocated for involves actively fighting oppression, but with no bloodshed. Non-violent methods of resistance are effective in fighting oppression and injustice and are often more successful than violent retaliation. Supporters of war and violent rebellion believe that nonviolence

As political scientist Erica Chenoweth states, nonviolent campaigns “elicit about 11 times more participants than the average armed uprising” (Chenoweth and Stephan). This is reasonable, since peaceful movements are more inclusive in terms of who can join. For instance, during the 1960’s, in an effort to end segregation, hundreds of African-American high school students peacefully marched to downtown Birmingham, Alabama and were thrown in jail by the masses. Because the waves of demonstrators could not be stopped and the jails were filled, the local police began attacking the students with high-pressure fire hoses, police dogs, and clubs (Gilbreath 122-133). In order for a violent demonstration to succeed, it would need several trained and experienced fighters. However, participants in peaceful demonstrations like the one in Birmingham do not need to be experienced: any high school student could participate and help the demonstration succeed. In addition, the incident gained massive news coverage and people all over the country were soon in outrage at the abuse of these peaceful, innocent high school students. By not resorting to violence for self-defense, the students successfully convinced the public to support their cause. They portrayed themselves as innocent and noble while emphasizing the cruelty of the oppressor. By encourages non-violent tactics, movement leaders can encourage more people to participate in demonstrations and can gain the support of