Malcolm X: Response to Injustice

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Sibley 1 Kajsa Sibley Mrs. Choe American Lit. December 2, 2014 The Shield of Violence During the course of American history, African Americans have faced many forms of oppression, such as slavery and having other inalienable rights denied. To face their oppressors, they either had to fight them with brute force or with uncooperative behavior. In chapter 19 from The Autobiography of Malcolm X , Malcolm X’s views of an effective response to injustice is violence if no other options gave a direct solution. His belief was that if non­violence led to a non­solution, and cruelty still surfaced in the community, then you should defend yourself by using any means necessary. I concur with his assessment of how to respond with the misdeeds of both former and today’s society. Although it can be viewed as unnecessary and idiotic, initiating violence can be utilized to defend against tyranny, ultimately shielding the innocent lives of those that are victimized. Malcolm X’s main idea is to uphold the entitlement of security and justification. He believed it was “a crime for anyone who is being brutalized to continue to accept that brutality without doing something to defend himself.” This corresponds with the second amendment in the United States Constitution: the right of individuals to keep and bear arms. Therefore, when someone is in an hostile environment, he or she can use violence ­ a gun ­ to defend or protect others. Also,“when the laws fails to protect Negroes from whites’ attack, then those Negroes should use arms, if necessary, to defend themselves.” During the 1960s, there were countless of Sibley 2 African American’s getting persecuted and lynched just because of their skin color. Non­violence would not protect anyone when a member of the KKK, or other extreme racists, would come toward someone with murderous and homicidal
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