Cesar Chavez Nonviolent Protests

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was originally a preacher of Christian beliefs, can be seen in many ways as an influential figure from his “I Have a Dream” speech which was a catalyst for giving African Americans basic rights. His nonviolent protests were his calling sign as they gained him the support of many. In Cesar Chavez’s magazine article designed to highlight his nonviolent protests, he enumerates the benefits of nonviolent protests, delineates why people choose violence over peace, and displays how violence causes an issue to worsen in order to show the “power that non-violence brings to this world.” The main audience he aims to persuade is the lower class who usually come to violence as they have less political power in their society. …show more content…
Chavez wants people to fight for their rights and freedoms, but in a way that causes fewer negative impacts and gains a large following that can follow these protests. Another reason why Caesar Chavez believes in the importance of non-violence is his religious beliefs. He believes that “human life is a very special possession” and “no one has the right to take it for any reason” (8-10). Within many religious communities, the most important belief is that thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, so plotting to kill another human being is rebelling against God, which is a path no Christian wishes to follow. Nonviolence ensures that no lives are lost in the process of gaining justice, and that no one has to throw away their beliefs to get what they desire. Chavez is convincing the reader that they should put morals and beliefs before the justice they wish to receive in order to leave their conscience guilt-free. Chavez is clear that nonviolence is the better option through this …show more content…
Just because a person is angry about the obstacles that their peers are facing doesn't mean they turn to violence to fix these problems. Chavez is showing that to fix one's deep-rooted emotions towards the enemy, one should participate in or lead peaceful rallies since that is the most effective strategy. By delineating the causation for violent tendencies, Chavez persuades readers that violence is an immature policy. Another strategy Chavez employs is how utilizing violence tends to backfire on its users. In many cases, the peons of society are treated poorly and left with drastic problems in their living standards, causing them to come together, unite, and take a stand against their oppressors. Using violence is normally their leading strategy in their call to action as they tend to be ignored when asking politely for reforms, but it leads to a victory with strings attached (66). The victory comes at the expense of injury and perhaps death” of people in their close-knit communities of friendships and family members