Naomi Jaffe says the following in the movie:
“We felt that doing nothing in a period of repressive violence is itself a form of violence.
That’s really the part that I think is the hardest for people to understand. If you sit in your house, live your white life and go to your white job, and allow the country that you live in to murder people and to commit genocide, and you sit there and you don’t do anything about it, that’s violence.”
What are some instances of violence that are difficult to perceive? Are certain aspects of economics violent? Can traditions be violent? Can you think of specific examples?
Is there a counter-argument to this “not choosing to fight is a choice” argument?
10 Comments
February 22, 2008 at 9:30 pm
This one is tough…however, the way I interpret Naomi Jaffe is that she thinks that you are promoting violence by not standing up against it because you are allowing it to take place. This goes for anything and everything in the world. For example, many people go to the polls on election day with the attitude that “their vote doesn’t even count.” If they honestly feel this way, and that issue in itself is debateable, then why do they go? Instead, these people can take action and do something to change the system to better fit them and find a way that actually uses each person’s vote. Also, there is always another side to any issue. In this case, whether you choose to take action or not you are always taking a stance whether you realize it or not because even an indirect opinion, is still an opinion that has consequences.
February 24, 2008 at 8:34 pm
i believe what naomi is saying is true. when a person dosn’t stand up for what they believe in, they are just as bad as the people who are doing the badness.. if that makes any sense. This reminds me of the people who are oblivious to what is going on overseas and think that the war is dumb. however, i respect the opinions of those who can back up their beliefs.
February 25, 2008 at 6:39 am
I do agree that it is bad to not stand up for what you believe in, but in the case as people being as bad as committing “genocide”, I wouldn’t take it to that extent. Also I do not believe that the way to go about standing up for what you believe in is violence.
February 27, 2008 at 5:35 pm
I think it’s very ironic that she blames the white people, but yet the entire group is made up of white people, from what I saw. To a different point, I think that those exact words that she said are closely related to some of the things that Martin Luther King, Jr. said in his “Letter from the Birmingham Jail”. He was “blaming” the white moderate, the people that are “more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absense of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says, ‘I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action’”.
February 27, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I think what she is saying is true, but she is also making it seem as if there is no way for them to solve something peacfully, which is not true. Sure non violent actions take time, but if you truly believe in the cause you should not worry about that and maintain your motivation to get your point across no matter how long the process may take. I agree that when people were doing nothing about it, that they were technically doing wrong, but what is everyone supposed to do, quit their job to protest? I feel that that is too radical for a whole country to follow through with and our economy would suffer tremendously and we would still be in the war. Sure economics are violent. We live in a capitalistic society where if you do not have the right job your out of luck, but until most people disagree with the sytem it will stay like that. Until a revolution occurs and people stop doing their role in society economics will prevail.
February 28, 2008 at 12:25 am
In response to homak07:
Naomi’s words are not at all related to what Martin Luther King said in his letter. Unlike Dr. King, Naomi blames ALL white people, not just those who make the laws and are responsible for making sure justice is a reality. Futhermore I believe that Dr. King said he was disappointed for this very reason, which he should be. If the citizens cannot look to those who have a duty to uphold the law and make sure it is enforced, and applies to ALL, then who do they look to. As he says “I had hoped that the white MODERATE would understand that LAW and ORDER exist for the purpose of establishing JUSTICE and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangersously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.” So no, it is not closely related. Dr. King went after the people he was supposed to go after, the people who were IN CHARGE. Which of course they are going to be white. Now Naomi on the other hand was wrong, because she blames all white people, not just those in charge. She and the rest of underground took their frustrations out on innocent people; people who dont have the power to pull the troops out of vietnam. Only the GOVERNMENT does…i.e. the WHITE MODERATE!
February 28, 2008 at 1:13 am
I think this woman’s comment is complete bull. If you mind your own business that is just what you chose to do, that doesn’t mean you are creating more violence. I believe that is what people need to start doing, is minding their own business.
February 29, 2008 at 1:27 am
I agree with Naomi becuase our country is bad enough without all of the violent protesters. Protesting violently just causes more violence and things just keep escalating to the point where the country is almost in a civil war. People going on living their lives, not doing anything is a way of showing the country that you just want it to stop.
February 29, 2008 at 3:56 pm
The fundamental flaw in Naomi’s logic is what they were doing was more violent than what she described as being violent. By doing nothing, you are not committing violence, but you are condoning it. By not protesting, you are saying that you are all right with these things that your country is doing, however wrong it may be.
March 6, 2008 at 6:55 pm
i think naomi’s beliefs are that allowing violence to happen without retaliation is a form a violence, and in a way i think she is right. i liken it to someone hitting me. ill never go starting a fight, but if someone punches me in the face, im gonna hit you back. while what naomi is talking about is on a much bigger scale, its the same concept, an eye for an eye. you have to stand up for yourself or else you will get nowhere.