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Peaceful Movements Vs. Violent Movements
Nonviolent movements are commonly perceived to be non-beneficial; acts of
resistance that barely accomplish anything. People deem them to be a waste of time,
because all throughout history, the majority of successful peaceful protests were
disregarded, so people presume that acting nonviolently results in no change
whatsoever. As a matter of fact, the most successful protests are the civilized ones,
because they can impact the public and bring in more followers. Violent protests
cause people to lose support for a movement, and they are more likely to result in
chaos. Simply put, peaceful movements are the best way to bring about change, and
there are various reasons to support that fact.
First of all, a nonviolent resistance raises awareness in a peaceful manner, which can
easily get more people to join the movement. These type of movements always end up
making a revolutionary change, if led by an exemplary model, because they can use
their words and knowledge to get their point across. As the leader will demonstrate
the appropriate way to carry on a protest without endangering the supporters’ lives.
Public heroes are a good way to bring about change, because they can skillfully
persuade the general public with their eloquent words (Polster, 2001, p.163). Let us
take Nelson Mandela as a prime example: he fought with his words and intelligence
rather than his fist, and he ended up destroying the apartheid policy in South Africa.
Even though it was a struggle, he still managed to do it non-violently and with great
success. From that, one can understand that “Heroes are catalysts for change”
(Tollefson, 1993, p.160). In addition, to this day Mr. Mandela is seen as a hero to
those who have supported his movement and stand by what he did.
Another reason is that peaceful protests are pretty much the only movements that
abide by the rules of a government. With that being said, if one does not comply with
these rules, no change will occur and the time and effort invested in that movement
will have gone to waste. “Simply put if people do not obey, then rulers or corporations
cannot rule” (Merriman, 2008, p.165). There is
always a system that one has to follow in order for a protest to succeed, and if
someone goes against it, they will be condemned for it. If the justice system allowed
retaliation that went against the law, the country would be in chaos. Furthermore, nonviolent protests teach people to take a more peaceful approach towards all things as
opposed to going violent as a means of a solution.
Some people believe that a violent campaign is the way to go, that it is the only way
to get a point across and one’s voice heard. On top of that, they believe that peaceful
protests are tedious and take too long to show effectiveness and also that they're rarely
successful. In actuality, that mentality will result in chaos, because if these kind of
protests are accepted, it will teach the public that resorting to violence is okay.
Likewise, joining or supporting violent movements means putting one’s life at stake,
as the outcome is unknown. On the other hand, NVMs show that peace resolves
matters.
In conclusion, it is evident that peaceful movements can impact people more
successfully than violent movements and are better in the long run. It may be the norm
for a country to experience violent protests and have them succeed while others have a
completely different history. Just because a violent movement succeeded somewhere
doesn't mean that it is fine. They might have accomplished something, but they still
compromised something that is more important, which is security.
References
Merriman, H. (2008). Agents of change and nonviolent action. Conservation Biology,
22(2), 165- 167.
Polster, M. (2001). Eve’s Daughters. Gouldsboro, ME: Gestlat Journal Press.
Tollefson, T. (1993, May/June). Is a hero really nothing but a sandwich? Utne Reader,
160.
Lauren Raubaugh October 2017
Writing 9-10 Rubric (5-Paragraph Essays with Sources)
Category
20….
15….
10….
5….
Format/Organization
The writer effectively constructs a
three-stage outline; the research
paper follows the proper format,
is well-organized (with an
introduction and a thesis
statement, body paragraphs, and
a conclusion) and the paper is an
appropriate length (at least 3 welldeveloped sentences in each
paragraph).
Development
The research paper is welldeveloped; the writer provides
clear explanations and specific
examples to support each major
point included in the body.
Cohesion
Proper transitions and lead-ins are
used to display unity and logical
progression. Each paragraph has a
clear purpose that aligns with the
topic sentences.
Structure and
Mechanics
The writerdisplays proper
conventions of standard English
grammar, sentence structure,
vocabulary, and mechanics.
Documentation
The writer uses the required
number of sources, each of which
are represented with a proper
APA citation in the paper. There is
a correctly-formatted reference
page at the end.
Total Score:___________/100
0
Name: _________________________________
Five-Paragraph Essay Outline
I. Topic Sentence or Hook:
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A. Connecting Information:
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B. Thesis Statement:
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II.
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A.
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1. ________________________________________________________________
a. __________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
a. __________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________
B.
_____________________________________________________________________
1. ________________________________________________________________
a. __________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
a. __________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________
III.
_____________________________________________________________________
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A.
_____________________________________________________________________
1. ________________________________________________________________
a. __________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
a. __________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________
B.
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1. ________________________________________________________________
a. __________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
a. __________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________
IV.
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A.
_____________________________________________________________________
1. ________________________________________________________________
a. __________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
a. __________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________
B.
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1. ________________________________________________________________
a. __________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
a. __________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________
V. Conclusion:
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