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Comment by bhouston | Hacker News Reader

I prefer non violent responses personally. I think boycotts are better than actually burning down places or vandalizing them. If you condone violence that often leads to a further reactionary breakdown in society, a downward spiral, where as boycotts don’t.

Boycotts and non violent protests also remove the ability to turn it back on the protests and say they are the one who are unreasonable. But introducing violence and vandalism can discredit the protests.

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That's only half of what MLK Jr's observed:

> I would be the first to say that I am still committed to militant, powerful, massive, non-violence as the most potent weapon in grappling with the problem from a direct action point of view. I'm absolutely convinced that a riot merely intensifies the fears of the white community while relieving the guilt. And I feel that we must always work with an effective, powerful weapon and method that brings about tangible results.

> But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the negro poor has worsened over the last twelve or fifteen years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met.

> And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.

Yeah, these protests will lead to a reactionary downward spiral, leading to protesters storming the Capitol building trying to hang the Vice President, 4 years in the past :)

You are demonstrating exactly my point. If violence is normalized then it justifies more violence on both sides.

I've never been able to square the easy access and vast private ownership of firearms in the US with the ideal of non-violence. It's an outlier in the developed world for being a rather violent place; perhaps it is just how the country works.

Boss, if conservatives had an actual violent bone on offer, the results would have long since been unspeakable.

The peddlers of violence deal in propaganda and all the negative social follies of our day, as well.

Sow peace.

I would argue violence of a kind is already normalized, just towards the working class and the poor. Not the fist-to-face kind, but one that's institutionalized.

Also I would carefully consider coverages like this. Even if the vast majority of protests are peaceful, media coverage will be biased towards any altercations that happen.

Your opponents aren't thinking that way. They will do whatever they can get away with.

I'm not sure what this means, but they seem honestly shocked when other people think that way.

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