u/Dubzophrenia

We hear this all the time. In every situation, you hear that violence should never be tolerated, and how you should only ever be peaceful, but that's bullshit. It shouldn't be your first option, but violence is the final avenue you can take to get a result that benefits people.

Violence, or the threat of it, is the only reason things change. Nothing happens because it's good or just, things happen because if they don't, it will lead to violence.

Violence is dangerous, yes. But violence is the only thing that guarantees results. Everybody fears violence. Nobody wants violence. Violence is the greatest deterrent to violence.

Examples-

The entire existence of the United States is due to violence. Look into the American Revolution.

The Civil Rights Movement. The US didn't grant black people equal rights because they asked for it, they granted it because they feared the growing militancy in the movement and feared more unrest. They gave black people rights because the peaceful approach was thinning and violence was evident.

Labor Rights movement. You think Andrew Carnegie wanted his people to work less? No, people starting getting rights and children stopped working in coal mines because unions started attacking their employers.

Slave Revolts. When we had slaves, you think their conditions got better because their masters were nice? No, conditions only got better because the masters feared larger revolts and had to make conditions better to prevent it.

Nelson Mandela, a peaceful protester, eventually concedes and supported violence against apartheid infrastructure to force change.

To those who say violence is never the answer, you're just wrong. Violence is actually the answer. Non-violence only succeeds because violence is possible.