Who has the right to determine wether violence is justifiable or not? Is it justifiable in any circumstance? There are no definite answers to these questions, just opinions. One opinion is, "Violence, even if directed toward innocents, is justifiable if it leads to a higher good such as freedom, democracy, liberty, or equality." While there are some that agree with this statement, there are others that would argue that violence, no matter the situation, is unethical. I believe that violence cannot truly be justified, and it will eventually turn into a vicious cycle. For example, in today's society there has been on-going violence with the US and Iraq. As we are now realizing, when violence is bestowed upon us, we, the US then answers with violence, which is then answered with more violence from Iraqis, and so the cycle begins. Two more opposing opinions can be seen in the Walker and King books.
             "We tolerated hate; we tolerated the sick stimulation of violence in all walks of life . . . " (King 135). Martin Luther King, Jr. obviously did not accept the statement about violence being justifiable. During King's time, with the Civil War ended, segregation and violence towards blacks was at its peak. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters . . . then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait... (King 69-70) It wouldn't seem practical for Martin Luther King Jr. to accept the statement about violence being justifiable because he has experienced the impacts of violence first hand. King was a black man who was discriminated against because of nothing more than the color of his skin. Violence towards in...