posted on Jun, 7 2005 @ 07:30 PM
If you're talking about the choice of a universe where the concept of violence does or doesn't exist, then I think the choice is obvious.
But if you're talking about violence as a solution or deterrent to violence, then it only works as an immediate and temporary solution. As cliched as
it sounds, the truth is violence begets violence. The bully that you break the jaw of today will go and learn martial arts to improve his ability to
kick butt all over chivalrous folk like you, or he will go and buy a gun, and he will be even angrier and messed up than before. It's rare that the
bully will suddenly learn the error of his ways just because someone else beat him. So, did you solve the problem? Temporarily, yes. Ultimately? No.
In fact you made it worse. This effect applies on an inter-personal scale, and on an international scale.
Then you have the kid who watched you beat the crap out of the bully and he thinks, "Wow, cool! I wanna be like that dude!" He starts thinking that
violence is a good thing, even though he doesn't have the moral maturity to distinguish when it is appropriate to use it. Again, this happens on
micro-social and macro-social levels.
And the thing with bullies is that more often than not, they were the victims of sexual or physical abuse when they were young, or they witnessed it
in the home. And so they grow up to subconsciously emulate the behaviour pasterns they learnt in childhood. The cycle perpetuates itself.
So, IMHO is fighting wrong? Not if it's used at the appropriate times. Does it ultimately solve anything? Nope.
[edit on 2005/6/7 by wecomeinpeace]