As we have recently celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Law in this country, we have been reminded of the critical role played by the Great Leaders of the Movement for Civil Rights and Social Justice, Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King. Both followers of the great Mohandas K. (Mahatma) Gandhi, who brought freedom to India without benefit of Semiautomatic Weapons, they knew and understood the importance, from both a tactical and strategic standpoint of fierce adherence to the principles of Nonviolence. Chavez, time and again, stood up to opponents who would try other ways, and responded with Marches and Hunger Strikes instead of violent confrontation. King, likewise, led epic marches and eschewed any form of violent response despite intense criticism from such as Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, and H. Rap Brown.
As difficult as it often was to cling to these principles of Nonviolence, both men understood the Moral Clarity and High Ground that it brought to the Movement. Both were ultimately vindicated, both by their tangible accomplishments and their unique place in history. You never saw a picture of either man with a weapon in his hand.
In recent years, however, thanks to the fierce efforts of the NRA and others, there has been a reflexive and widespread resort to violent means--for conflict resolution, for defense, for anything it seems---instead of the peace we once sought. This tug and pull is currently being played out, to some extent, in the contested race for Ed Pastor's Congressional Seat in Arizona's CD 07.
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