Cesar Chavez, labor union organizer and civil rights leader, took the 10th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as an opportunity to remind people about the benefits of nonviolent resistance. Chavez published an article in the magazine of a religious organization devoted to helping those in need. In this article, Chavez shares his views on how nonviolent resistance is more effective than violent resistance.
Chavez contracts the outcomes of violence versus nonviolence using an if then format in order to prove nonviolence superior. On lines 17-21, Chavez presents the unwanted outcomes of violence. He argues that once violence begins, it will escalate and result in injury or death on both sides. And, if somehow the violence does not escalate to that point, total
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In lines 37-39, Chavez emphasizes the worth of a human life by stating that no matter how much misery or exploitation exists, it is not worth an irreplaceable human life. This counters violence because in violent resistance, lives are lost to the cause. By stating that no cause is worth losing a life, Chavez is able to make his readers stop and think about the worth of one human life. This helps his overall argument because in nonviolent resistance, no lives have to be lost to the cause. Again, this idea is emphasized in lines 74-78. Here, Chavez presents that violence is not effective in the long run. Additionally, he adds that “people suffer from violence”. By stating that violence can be temporarily successful until another form replaces it, Chavez counters the idea that violence solves the issue once and for all. Consequently, his readers will ask themselves, why do we use violence if it is not long lasting success? By getting his reader to ask and answer this question, he is able to make them draw the conclusion that violence is not the superlative
Former civil rights leader Cesar Chavez justifies nonviolent protest with the use of several appeals to logic and ethics in his contribution to a magazine for a religious organization. His goal being to convince the audience into realizing that nonviolent protest is the more effective option when working towards a change. His optimistic tone helps the reader connect to the cause of nonviolent protest with the help of rhetorical devices like figurative
We would lose regard for human beings. Then the struggle would become a mechanical thing. When you lose your sense of life and justice, you lose your strength,” the text talks about how if we decide to use violence it comes with other unforeseen repercussions and goes into detail of what these consequences are. The references to time provide a contrast and traits of similarity in order to further reinforce Chavez's supportive stance on nonviolence. The use Dr. King, Gandhi and mentions of history in itself provide an ethic to the writer by point out past examples that have proved to be key in rebellions and
In the article Cesar Chavez stated that, “ Nonviolence supports you if you have a just and moral cause. Nonviolence provides the opportunity to stay on the offensive,and that is a crucial importance to win any contest. If we resort to violence then one of two things will happen: either the violence will be escalated and there will be many injuries and perhaps death on both sides, or there will be total demoralization of the workers.” you see what Cesar Chavez is trying to say is that when it comes to violence if you resort to non violence, than most people will support you because you have a definite win and this way nobody is gonna get hurt or die in the
This gives the readers the impression that nonviolence is primarily connected with power and importance. He goes on to say that those who are truly worried about the people will always support nonviolence. He is telling his readers that they should agree if they want to consider themselves good people. He contrasts words like freedom and democracy to harsher, and cruel words like “vicious type of oppression” and “no honor” to describe violence. This shows the readers that violence is very corrupt, and shows that nonviolence represents the
Romanticism Timed Writing “ Nothing good ever comes from violence.” (Martin Luther) The meaning of these words echo many other famous, and successful reformers, and protest leaders throughout history. Martin Luther, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, only their situation differs, while their belief in nonviolence stays constant. The influence of these great nonviolent reformers is evident in Chavez’s text, as again another leader looking for change continues the legacy.
The Delano boycott and strike is one example of his none violence approach. Originally it was a primarily Filipino boycott, but they reached out to Cesar Chavez for help. The NFWA was a union that consisted of mostly Mexican American farmer workers. He knew how growers historically pitted one race against another to break field walkouts (UFW.org). Chávez understood that things had to be done differently this time around in order for this strike to succeed.
Cesar Chavez explained nonviolence as a form of bringing awareness to not only the wages, working conditions and treatment of farm workers, but also the overall treatment of marginalized people in the United States. However, growing up with the perspective of the farmworker’s inspired him to spread the word of resistance against the growers and the government as a whole. Cesar Chavez purpose of La Causa not only inspired people to become a part of something so great, but to inflict change individually by encouraging his brothers and sisters to become mentally and physically strong. Which I believe is the backbone to a non-violence protest. It’s also the mentality a social worker should inhibit because dealing with change, it requires many of
The Gospel of Cesar Chavez: My Faith in Action, by Mario T. Garcia, uses Cesar Chavez’s own words to express his spiritual and religious personality and how it led him to organize a movement for a change in the farm workers’ lifestyle of America. Through his experiences and observations with religion and spirituality growing up, Cesar created his own myth by conveying nonviolence and self-sacrifice as the basis of his American religious experience. Thus, paving the way towards reform for farm workers. To be able to understand Cesar’s motive behind his movement, violence and nonviolence needs to be distinguished. A violent movement is a protest that is set up to achieve a goal by using violent acts (riots, house raids, etc.).
To begin with, Chavez uses logos in his speech through a rhetorical question, “Who gets killed in the case of violent revolution? The poor, the workers.” The people who are arguing for violent revolutions are mostly poor workers whom Chavez refers to. Chavez uses logic to show these people that if they use violent revolts, they are most likely the ones going to be killed which for the most part will deter the people who are aiming for this. Another appeal Chavez uses is ethos to show everyone as people we are expected to do the right thing.
When the world is engulfed in injustice, it calls for brave men and women to fight back, but the question is how should one fight? Most would resort to violence to kill off injustice, but this leads to even more violence and chaos in most cases than intended. If someone is going to be shot the first reaction is to fight off the killer. However, Cesar Chavez implies in his powerful essay the weakness of violence in a unjust situation and instead the power of nonviolence.
The two allusions to historical figures develop Chavez’s argument as they remind him and the audience of how large of an impact nonviolence had on the world in the past and how it could be applied to the
Chavez begins his argument by saying that a human life is an irreplaceable “possession given by God”. By resorting to violence, it has the grim possibility of being taken away. Chavez further expands his use of ethos by providing examples of ethics and morals. Nonviolence gathers support for moral causes, whereas unethical actions create discouragement among followers. Violence is merely the result
What made Cesar Chavez an Effective leader? Cesar Chavez was born in Yuma,Arizona in 1927. He moved a lot and went to 36 different schools. He lived through the Great Depression and worked in fruit and vegetable fields as a farmer. On a regular basis California farmers would face mistreatment and abuse mainly by the growers taking advantage of them all.
The audience that Chavez is addressing is very familiar with Dr. King, and the troubles he went through so it is not hard at all to relate to the audience with ideas of Martin Luther King. “ Nonviolence provides the opportunity to stay on the offensive, and that is a crucial importance to win any contest.” With subject of violent an nonviolent means is so important to almost everyone that it makes almost everyone stand on their toes. With the subject Chavez does a good job of stating “we” instead of “I” because of
The violent conflict approach is defined through coercion, threats, and destructive assaults. Galtung’s, model suggests that each of these components influence one another, and while each