The thing that warriors like Mohandas Gandhi and Morihei Ueshiba have in common is they recognise that the greatest victory is over self. The struggle is not primarily against outside forces; rather it is directed inwards, at one's own inner clashes and conflicts.
True victory is self-victory; let that day arrive quickly!
~ Morihei Ueshiba
I don't like the term "passive resistance" and what it implies. Perhaps a better expression would be "non-violent resistance". Non-violent resistance is anything but passive.
It is not about avoiding confrontation, or running away, or accommodating your enemies.
It is sincere, committed and intensely focused. It is unwavering in its stance.
Mahatma Gandhi himself said that he would rather you kill an enemy in defence of the innocent than run away and abandon those you were responsible for protecting:
At every meeting I repeated the warning that unless they felt that in non-violence they had come into possession of a force infinitely superior to the one they had and in the use of which they were adept, they should have nothing to do with non-violence and resume the arms they possessed before. It must never be said of the Khudai Khidmatgars that once so brave, they had become or been made cowards under Badshah Khan's influence. Their bravery consisted not in being good marksmen but in defying death and being ever ready to bare their breasts to the bullets.
Non-violent resistance is not for sissies, weaklings or cowards. It is for warriors -- those who are truly strong. To be a pacifist, you must be willing to confront death head-on, and be willing to die if necessary.
The SMH is featuring a fascinating little story about the public reaction to nude photos of a small town police chief's wife being found online.
The mayor told The Oklahoman that he believes the way Ozmun has been treated is wrong, and "I don't want to work in a community like this."
Someone should tell Shirley Anderson, Cristen Edgar and the rest of the "concerned" townsfolk that they have no right to determine how other human beings live their private lives.
Talk about having Jungian shadow issues...
