Julius Caesar Essay #1

When one read the word violence, one may most likely think of the negative and the down side of any subjects. But think about this: can violence bring positive change? You may think, how can something bad bring something good? This question can arouse much controversy, and but quite honestly, if violence is used with good control and limit, positive changes can be brought around.

One of the most powerful and murderous dictators in history: Joseph Stalin, the supreme ruler of the Soviet Union for a quarter of a century. His regime of terror caused the death and suffering of tens of millions, but he also oversaw the war machine that played a key role in the defeat of Nazism. His forced collectivization of agriculture cost millions of lives, while his program of rapid industrialization achieved huge increases in Soviet productivity and economic growth but at great cost. Also, the population suffered immensely during the Great Terror of the 1930s, during which Stalin purged the party of 'enemies of the people', resulting in the execution of thousands and the exile of millions to the gulag system of slave labour camps. Stalin once said in the 1920s: “Using a fraction of our population as stepping stones to better this country is a good deal.” He was partly right; he used a great amount of his fellow citizens to create a better civilization for the future generations.

            Other than one individual’s determined efforts of using violence for a better future, many groups in history also used the same method. The Black Panthers was one of those many groups. They were black revolutionary socialist organization active in the United States from 1966 until 1982. The Black Panther Party achieved national and international notoriety through its involvement in the Black Power movement and U.S. politics of the 1960s and 1970s. The Black Panther Party had a list of 26 rules that dictated their daily party work. The rules also said that members had to follow the Ten Point Program, and had to know it by heart.

1. We want freedom. We want power to determine the destiny of our black Community.

2. We want full employment for our people.

3. We want an end to the robbery by the white man of our black Community.

4. We want decent housing, fit for shelter of human beings.

5. We want education for our people that exposes the true nature of this decadent American society. We want education that teaches us our true history and our role in the present-day society.

6. We want all black men to be exempt from military service.

7. We want an immediate end to POLICE BRUTALITY and MURDER of black people.

8. We want freedom for all black men held in federal, state, county and city prisons and jails.

9. We want all black people when brought to trial to be tried in court by a jury of their peer group or peer group or people from their black communities, as defined by the Constitution of the United States

10. We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice and peace. And as our major political objective, a United Nations-supervised plebiscite to be held throughout the black colony in which only black colonial subjects will be allowed to participate for the purpose of determining the will of black people as to their national destiny.

The 10 Point Program shows what the Black Panthers strive for was for equality which was right in every way. The Black Panthers Party believed that the non-violent campaign of Martin Luther King had failed and any promised changes to their lifestyle via the 'traditional' civil rights movement, would take too long to be implemented or simply not introduced. It was just that they used violent actions and protests to achieve what they believe in. They believed that violence was the only to make dramatic changes to their unfair lives. Their public stance all involved violence. Even though the final civil changes did not take place during the BPP’s time, they played a short but important part in the civil rights movement for the equality of black people.

            The two of the uncountable important events in history are presented above. Joseph Stalin used violence to fight violence that resulted in victory and peace. The Black Panther Party used violence in order to gain equality and peace. Equality and peace are things that are basic but do not come freely. Therefore many groups and individuals choose violence to solve the problem of no basic rights. As long as violence is controlled and reasonable, good things can be brought around.