I Am Anti-Violence....

I need to ask a question because it has been plaguing me the past week or so.

Is the only acceptable answer to violence unbending passivism?

And if so, who has this worked for?

Over and over again, I find myself having intense discussions with people who are “anti-violence” as if I am pro-violence.

And I am pretty sure that I have stated this clearly before, but it is worth repeating:

I am anti-violence. And yes, first and foremost, I am anti anyone being violent towards me. Or anyone else, for that matter.

I am anti-violence. And yes, first and foremost, I am anti anyone being violent towards me. Or anyone else, for that matter.

More so, I consider myself a feminist. And while I have always seen myself as one, it has been

truly eye opening going through the process of reading through letters, articles and posts I have written over the last thirty or so years of my life as I prepare to write my memoir.

On a random click after doing a search for “feminism” (ie. I did not compare sites for the most accurate and/or rely on Wikipedia) I found this:

“Feminism is a complex set of ideologies and theories, that at its core seeks to achieve equal social, political, and economic rights for women and men.

Feminism refers to a diverse variety of beliefs, ideas, movements, and agendas for action.”

Whoa there? Did I read that correctly?

That at its core, feminism “seeks to achieve equal social, political, and economic rights for women and men?”

Well, yes, we want equality.

But what I don’t see here is that within what might be a “complex set of ideologies and theories” there is an absolute ban on protecting oneself from violence by learning how to fight back.

But what I don’t see here is that within what might be a “complex set of ideologies and theories” there is an absolute ban on protecting oneself from violence by learning how to fight back.

Food for thought.