They Shoot New Yorkers, Don't They?

No one symbolizes non-violence more than Mohandas Gandhi. What follows is a script excerpt of a speech in the movie Gandhi. The power of these words as they embody Gandhi's ideas has always impressed me, and American current events, repeated as they are, have again brought them to mind. There are so many places where these shooting tragedies occur, that as a New Yorker, I am no longer sure where I feel safe.

Gandhi: I want to welcome you all. Every one of you. We have no secrets.

Let us begin by being clear about General Smuts' new law: All Indians must now be fingerprinted, like criminals, men and women.

No marriage, other than a Christian marriage, is considered valid. Under this Act, our wives and mothers are whores, and every man here is a bastard.

And our policemen, passing an Indian dwelling -- I will not call them homes -- may enter and demand the card of any Indian woman whose dwelling it is. Understand, he does not have to stand at the door. He may simply enter.

Audience Member #1: I will not allow it.
Audience Member #2: I swear to Allah: I'll kill the man who offers that insult to my home and my wife. And, let them hang me.
Audience Member #3: I say, talk means nothing! Kill a few officials before they disgrace one Indian woman! Then, they might think twice about such laws!
Audience Member #4: In that cause, I would be willing to die!!

Gandhi: I praise such courage. I need such courage because in this cause I, too, am prepared to die. But, my friend, there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill. Whatever they do to us, we will attack no one, kill no one, but we will not give our fingerprints -- not one of us.

They will imprison us, and they will fine us. They will seize our possessions, but they cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them.

Audience Member #5: Have you been to prison?! They beat us and torture us!

Gandhi: I am asking you to fight! To fight against their anger, not to provoke it. We will not strike a blow, but we will receive them. And through our pain we will make them see their injustice, and it will hurt - as all fighting hurts. But we cannot lose. We cannot. They may torture my body, break my bones, even kill me. Then, they will have my dead body - not my obedience.
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Ah, yes. Brilliant. "I praise such courage. I need such courage because in this cause I, too, am prepared to die, but, my friend, there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill." If only these mass murderers had believed similarly.

Indeed, if only.

TGB   

Give peace a chance.