McKnight 1

Sophia McKnight-Giuliano
English 115
Professor Melisa Malvin
November 22, 2016

Keep the Peace

There have been numerous accounts of violent rioting throughout American history, such
as the L.A. Riots of 1992, the 1965 Watts Rebellion, and the Chicago riots of 1968. Rioting can
be the result of frustration, prolonged disappointment, and hate. In the past, many riots were
started due to injustice and inequality. While rioting may have a few positive outcomes, they
greatly affect our society in negative ways. Nothing has been gained through hate; It is
imperative to keep the peace when fighting for what one believes in, because otherwise, it
becomes destructive and counterproductive.
A society that feels ignored may be angry and resentful, however this does not justify
violent rioting. It is important to speak out on the things one believes in, but the power it holds
increases when done peacefully. When protests become violent, people tend to lose sight of the
cause. It becomes self-driven and hateful, which is less effective and hurts more people as a
result. It is immoral to fight for justice by being unjust towards other human beings. It can reach
the point where people are putting themselves and others in harms way for the sake of the cause.
While some may believe such determination is admirable, it does nothing but prolong the hate
and the violence. In this case, the protestors become exactly what they are fighting against. The
idea behind protesting is to be part of the solution, not the problem.

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Martin Luther King Jr., a famous Civil Rights activist, stated that riots are the language
of the unheard. During this time, he was fighting to end racial segregation and for the civil
rights for all citizens. In regard to protests and riots, King also explained:
In a real sense our nations summers of riots are caused by our nations winters of delay.
And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the positive on of having these
recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the
absolute guarantors of riot prevention.
It is clear that he believed in peaceful protest in times of civil unrest and that justice for all races
would prevent rioting. In his speech, The Other America, he proposes that time can either be
utilized constructively or destructively. He deduced that progress stems from persistence and
dedication, but that problems should be acted upon peacefully through good will and a longing
for change. One of the most known quotes by Martin Luther King Jr. states:
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness
multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction -- the chain reaction of evil -hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars -- must be broken, or we shall be plunged
into the dark abyss of annihilation.
His quote says it all. He believed that nonviolence is a powerful force that could convert
dissension into mutual understanding. It is impossible to break hate through more hate and
ongoing violence will only produce more violence. Therefore, the only way to achieve a just
society for all citizens is through nonviolent means.

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Twilight Los Angeles, by Anna Deveare Smith, explores the event of the L.A Riots of
1992. It started when four white police officers were acquitted in the beating of an African
American male named Rodney King. This event sparked animosity all across the city, igniting
the rage that in the eyes of the citizens, was long overdue. It started out as looting businesses and
escalated to assault, arson, and murder. The book contains personal accounts from citizens during
this time and how it affected their families and the city as a whole. In one interview, the wife of
gunshot victim, Walter Park, explained what happened to him and how it affected them
emotionally. Walter Park was sitting at a stoplight when a man broke the drivers side window
and shot him at close range. June Park described her husband as being high-educated, kind, and
hardworking. She explains, He donated a lot of money to the Compton area. And he knows the
City Council, the police, they knows him. Then why, why he has to get shot?. She expressed
how sad, angry, and confused she was.
Elvira Evers, a pregnant women, gives a detailed account of an incident that occurred
amidst all of this chaos. At the time, she didnt realize it at first, but she had been shot. She drove
to the hospital where they had to operate on her to get the bullet and the baby out. The bullet
went through the placenta and lodged into the babys elbow in between two joints. The child
survived, however, they had to perform surgery to remove the bullet. If it hadnt gotten stuck in
the babys elbow, both her and her mother would have been dead.
Michael Zinzun, a representative from the Coalition Against Police Abuse, described a
scene of police abuse that he witnessed. One night, Zinzun and his neighbors heard a man calling
for help. When they went outside to find out what was going on, they saw the man handcuffed,
being beaten by police officers. They tried to get the police to stop, and the officers reacted by

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macing and handcuffing the people in the crowd, including Zinzun. After being maced for a
second time, the officers repeatedly stomped on Zinzuns back and hit him in the head with a
baton and a flashlight. As a result of his injuries, his optic nerve exploded and he became blind in
one eye.
These stories show that during the LA riots, the people who instigated the violence, along
with the police, lost sight of how the chaos affected individuals and their families. They focused
on the negative aspects and forgot what they were fighting for. They got lost in the destruction
and directed their anger towards innocent people. Personal gain became the end game instead of
societal progress. Rioting is not simply criminal, they are complex events that have many
different factors. The people participating in these violent acts arent the only ones to hold
responsible. The police and authority figures often react to these threats by becoming scornful
and retributive, only escalating the situation further.
From a psychological standpoint, rioting can bring on a feeling of belonging and
togetherness. While this may be true, violence is not a genuine way to bond with those around
you. Instead of sharing positive experiences, the individuals are establishing ties through
negative escapades, ultimately pushing each other to further act on their beliefs through violence.
According to Robert N. Kraft, an author from the Journal of Peace Psychology, repeated violence
is supported by strong ideology and the belief that ones actions have good intentions. Even if
ones intentions are pure, it doesnt justify acts of violence. In the past, societal issues have been
used as an excuse for anarchy and riots have been started just to get the attention of authority
figures. While this may earn their attention, it will not compel them to give in to the protestors.
Instead, they may be prompted to fight back.

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Many people believe that violence is the most effective way to bring on change, however,
this is not true. The authors of the book Why Civil Resistance Works, Erica Chenoweth and Maria
Stephan, conducted an experiment to determine whether nonviolence is more effective than
violence. For their experiment, they collected data on 323 violent and nonviolent political
campaigns. They found that the nonviolent protests had a 53% rate while the violent protests
were only successful 20% of the time. Through their research, they deducted that nonviolent
protests attract more participants in comparison to a violent protest due to the lack of risk and
moral burden.
The events of rioting throughout history have proven that violence doesnt aid in the fight
for societal progress. Advancement stems from determination and a yearning for change through
understanding. Statistics have shown that nonviolent protests are more successful because they
weigh less on the conscience, therefore opening the doors for more people to participate. Events
such as the LA Riots negatively effected the city as a whole and created a deep-seeded feeling of
loss. Rioters lose sight of why theyre protesting when violence is included in the mix, ultimately
becoming destructive and counterproductive. Because it grows more hateful, self-driven, and
unempathetic, innocent people are hurt in the process. Though rioters may believe they are
fighting with good intent, it does not justify the violence. While it may gain the attention of
authority figures, it only compels them to fight back. This transforms into a never-ending cycle
of hate. Protesting is not supposed to create more obstacles, rather, it is meant to aid the fight for
a solution.

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Bibliography
Rothman, Lily. "What Martin Luther King Jr Really Thought About Riots." Time. Time. Web.
Smith, Anna Deavere. Twilight Los Angeles 1992. Doubleday, 1994. Print.
Kenrick, Douglas T. "Violent Versus Nonviolent Revolutions: Which Way Wins?" Psychology
Today.
Chenoweth, Erica, and Maria J. Stephan. Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of

Nonviolent Conflict. New York. Columbia UP, 2011. Print.