Non-violence is about creativity.  And it works. Gandhi and King, the most successful reformers of the 20th Century, were both adamant about it.

Non-violence will usually lose the early battles, but it almost always wins if your cause is just. This is because the humiliation the victors feel, after they beat up people who didn’t fight back, is a life changing event for most of them.

Remember, violence begets violence, and the persecutors will instead view their attacks as self-defense. They will view their presence, and actions, as simply doing what they were told (“their job”). But what is never in their job description is initiating assault and battery. It’s a bitch to go thru for the individual, but long-term, it works for the public good. 

Think about all the overt (and covert) wars the United States has had in the past century… With the exception of WWII, not one has been justifiable. That’s because war is so seldom the right thing to do. The same principle applies to the government’s reaction to most civil protests… They send in weaponized, semi-military people to beat the hell out of protesters at the slightest provocation… But if you stand firm without retaliation, then your persecutors may wind-up opposed to ever serving evil again. 

In short, non-violent confrontation is true courage in action! 

Look thru the sub-pages below for terrific examples of creative non-violence.  Whistle-blowing, boycotts, strikes, marches, civil disobedience, etc…

And please feel free to send us other examples! We can be reached at plowshare@plowshareva.org.

Salt March
Catonsville Nine
Selma
1971
Dewey Canyon III
Cabbie Strike – Immigrant Ban
Romero Speech
On Being Arrested