I’m not a hardcore pacifist since I think I’d be able to hurt or kill another human being if it meant protecting myself or my family. Otherwise I’m opposed to violence on principle. I believe that war is only justifiable if it’s a defensive war to stave off invasion or a humanitarian war to stop mass murder or genocide. My biggest heroes are nonviolent activists such as Gandhi or MLK. The fact that they were successful proves that brute force isn’t always the most effective way to bring about social change.
I haven’t raised my hand against another human being since grammar school, and I hope that I can go the rest of my life without hitting anybody. I have a temper like everyone else, but I pride myself on my ability to control it. I’ll rarely lose my temper in front of others, although I’ll pound my desk or throw something on occasion when I’m alone. I have a cat, and I’m proud that I’ve earned his trust, since cats are naturally wary of large male humans. I can wave my arms and yell at him and he’ll only give me his trademark “bored cat look”. He knows I won’t hurt him.
Violence in movies doesn’t bother me too much, since I can tell it’s fake, but if the violence becomes too intense or realistic I’ll start to feel uneasy. One thing I can’t stand is torture – if a movie shows one character torturing another I’ll usually leave the room. Luckily most movies don’t have torture scenes.
So are there any other nonviolent/pacifist dopers out there?
-DP