| Online: | |
| Visits: | |
| Stories: |
Top 10 Ways To Reduce Violence
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. It is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding; it seeks to annihilate rather than to convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends by defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers.”
It has brought home that a general abhorrence of violence is not enough. While I’m sure others will have different, and perhaps wiser, suggestions about how to reduce violence, here are my Top 10 Ways to Reduce Violence. If you can improve them, I welcome your feedback, but I suspect it may be more important and more useful if you write a letter to your local newspaper or school board. Together, we can reduce and perhaps eliminate violence.
10. Disconnect anger from violence
I am convinced that human beings get angry, and that anger at injustice is often justified. There is healthy anger that insists, “There has to be a better way!” I shutter when I hear parents tell children, “You shouldn’t be angry.” Tell them instead, “You’re feelings are OK, you can be angry, but you may not hit or hurt others.”
9. See the connection between the love of violence and violence itself
Fascination with brutality, guns and bombs, war and evil must increase the chances for violent behavior. I can’t prove that, it just seems likely to me.
8. See the connection between all levels of violence
Insults and taunting, humiliation and shaming are forms of violence. When we treat people badly, it should not surprise us when they seek a way to “get even.”
7. Promote gender equality in schools and widen access to education for girls
It has been proven time and time again that girls who are educated are less likely to be married at a young age and become pregnant. If that weren’t reason enough, girls that obtain higher levels of education are more likely to take on full time employment and become empowered as a result of their financial contributions to the family and community.
6. Take troubled, angry people seriously
We talk about needing more early intervention with troubled kids, and I agree. But people of all ages get trapped in situations they can’t handle, with emotions they don’t know how to express. Domestic violence, violence among co-workers and among children should always be treated as a serious matter. Hitting and hurting, and threatening to hurt, are not OK.
Related Posts
