17 thoughts on “There is no way to peace”

    • HI Annie. I’m not a subscriber but I have seen the quote frequently that “riots are the language of the unheard.” Of course, I (and probably every other advocate of non-violent resistance) agree that riots are most often the result of social injustices that have not been addressed. But there is a HUGE difference between saying riots (meaning here protests that turn violent against persons and property) are explicable and saying riots are justified as a valid tool for change. (For comparision, if someone has been long-abused and responds by abusing someone else, that response is explicable but not acceptable.) I find it unfortunate that some people this week are taking Dr. King’s fine point about riots being explicable and using it to negate his overarching philosophy of non-violent social transformation. As I said, I can’t read the article, but if it has a quote that shows King advocating that his own followers use violence and riots as valid tools, I will quit citing him as one of the great inspirations for nonviolent social change. Until then, I think we should keep “explaining riots” and “advocating/justifying riots” separate, and I find the current trend to conflate the two counterproductive.

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