Bullying In Satyagraha

Bullying. Bullying is a universal issue that many kids have to face. There are many ways to deal with this issue, but some tend to work better than others. Despite the fact that nonviolence may work at times, it is best to defend yourself when faced with the conflict of bullying.

In the past, people have always said “force is not justified.” In the story “Satyagraha,” Ramdas is trying to “stand firmly for what he believes…without ever resorting to force.” In reality, his attempt at nonviolent protest is a futile attempt that barely makes any impact on Bill. Instead of Ramdas dealing with his own situation, his friend, Kenneth, must do the real resistance. Moreover, this proves that “reacting without force” doesn’t always work. Without help from Ken, Ramdas would have become a “smear of jelly.” Consequently, he would have been bullied a great deal before his passiveness even made an effect on Bill.

On the contrary, Richard, a boy that was bullied in “The Rights to the Streets of Memphis,” is able to fend off the bullies and fight back.

His mother helped him learn that trying to stand up without doing anything would be unsuccessful. After his mother makes him “stand up and fight for [him] self,” he faces his problem head-on. Propelled by anguish and fear, Richard is able to defy the bullies with bravery and determination, which helps him gain self-confidence. The violence used by Richard was necessary for him to win “the rights to the streets of Memphis.” This action caused a large impact on the bullies, leading to them not bullying him.

Peace may work at rare times, but often the best method to confront the bully is through violence. I believe that to truly stand up to a bully, you must fight back. Nonviolence will do nothing to help your situation; aggression can be used if necessary. Bullying is something you shouldn’t have to go through. You should always do something if you are being

bullied!