And the rest of us will be seduced by their outraged discourse unless we understand that the term "violence" is more complicated than most of us think. In fact, there's a lot to be said in favor of revolutionary violence.
Violence Is Multi-Dimensional
Sadly, as was the case with the birth of this country, revolution necessarily involves violence. But let's face it: so does maintenance of the system at hand. As we'll see below, the social arrangements we experience every day are based on a violence responsible for untold suffering and death. In the eyes of many, the only rational response is to defend ourselves in kind. And the violence is often justifiable.
Speaking precisely as a theologian, I'll say, they may be right. In fact, even Catholic bishops like Brazil's Dom Helder Camara and St. Oscar Romero of El Salvador made a similar argument years ago during their peoples' own revolutions against U.S.-supported dictatorships.
Both prelates pointed out that "violence" is more complicated than most of us think. It actually has four dimensions - and only one of them (the one usually most ardently vilified in our culture) is by any stretch justifiable. The levels include (1) structural violence, (2) the (often revolutionary) violence of self-defense, (3) reactionary police violence, and (3) terrorist violence. According to Camara and Romero, only the second level can claim any legitimacy.
Let me explain.
Structural Violence
The riots I've been referring to here are an indication that U.S. citizens are mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore. Consciously or unconsciously, we're mad about unjust structures - about economic, social, and political arrangements - whose short-list includes:
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