THE EASY WAY

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The last passage in the multiple choice packet got me thinking. It argued that when people name-call and just shout obscenities, there's no wit, no finesse involved; any old Joe could do that. Only a skilled-enough person could make someone seem like a fool without these ugly words.

I totally agree with the author. It's all too easy just to give in to your anger and play the shouting game, but the topic also reminded me of my Spanish class.

This past week, we've been learning about Cesar Chavez and his protests for the rights of Hispanic and Filipino farm workers. Like Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi, he believed in peaceful protests and that nonviolence was the only way that rights would be won for his underprivileged supporters. The documentary we watched in class showed the racists and violent acts that the protesters faced, to the point where protesters were being shot at or jailed just for saying "huelga" (strike in Spanish). 

While facing these violent acts, some of Chavez's supporters were tempted to resort to violence, which is understandable. When facing such cruel acts, it's easy to see why they'd want to stick up for themselves and fight back, but Chavez wouldn't allow it; in fact, he went on a 25 day fast in order to prove his point, which brings me back to the last passage

The protesters using violence would be like someone using derogatory terms while attempting to make their opponent look foolish. It's the easy way out and is almost never as effective as the other option. While peaceful protesting is more difficult and requires more control, the outcome in the end is worth the effort. Although making someone look foolish and protesting for farm workers' rights aren't very related, the core truth underneath both is that some things take more effort and finesse to successfully accomplish and the easy way out isn't ideal.

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