Do you believe your political beliefs could make you violent?

I guess you already forgot WW2.

@ragingloli I thought I phrased it in a way most people could understand I meant personal violence.
You yourself, would you attack someone in front of your building protesting or advocating something you strongly opposed?

I’ve experienced just about enough violence in my life. Would love to avoid it whenever possible.

It would have to be an extraordinary circumstance to get me excited to the point of violence. And North American politics is not that extraordinary. Most of it is just noise. Much of it is a pretty simple debate about how to spend somebody else’s money. No wonder it gets noisy sometimes.

Plus, I don’t have anything to prove.
Plus, anger like that is not healthy. It takes a distinct toll.

Never. I’ve never been in a physical altercation. I’m a lover not a fighter.

I don’t react to anger and frustration with violence.

There’s something between an intellectual battle and violence; it’s called political action. There’s writing letters, making phone calls to officials, going to protest marches, etc. Nothing I’ve done in my life has led to violence and nothing would except defending my loved ones in a physical attack.

No. But I am not a physically violent person in the first place. I’m big and tall, and have had no need to fight anyone since 6th grade, because I was bigger than most of them.

But the other thing is – who would you fight? I may be angry and Trump or Kemp or the Senate, but it’s not like I can go to Washington and pick a fight with them.

And the local folks – the rednecks who voted Trump – they are to be pitied, maybe laughed at, but not fought with. They’re not worth it.

The was a guy I knew – sort of a friend of a friend – who was seriously vocal in person and on Facebook about how Obama was an Arab and born in Kenya and so on… for a while I didn’t react, but then Al got to be so monotonous and strident that I figured I had no need to talk to him again. Two years now.

Physical violence is stupid. I just don’t think that way.

Anyone resorting to violence no matter what the reason, is an odious, uneducated loser.
Politics breeds this sort of aggression & antagonism within extreme personality types & they make me heave, shut up & wind your necks in you neanderthal bunch of halfwits.

Only if George Soros pays me to be.~

No, politics is not worth getting violent over. I would only be violent as a form of defense against violence, i.e. if I or someone I love is attacked.

@ucme Yet I’ve seen political violence on the news several times, both parties. I’m just curious who these people are tbh.
I’m not saying never, because who knows but there are a few things I will not tolerate, like maybe protestors abusing a guy in a wheelchair wearing a Trump hat, but to me, that’s intolerable regardless of politics. I probably wouldn’t recommend taking a dump on the flag in this part of the US, but it would be interesting I bet…lol

Like @janbb, I want to acknowledge the the layer between ‘intellectual battle’ and violence: taking direct, non-violent action. This is where I have spent most of my political energy.

I have engaged in peaceful civil disobedience and attended a dozen or more protests in the last two years and have never seen an iota of violence. Even when counter protestors show up to try to get a rise out of us. Protests get a bad rap in the media because of the 1% that go wrong.

I am a pacifist. I do not intend to commit violence for any cause. That said, I can imagine hypothetical scenarios in which I would.

I bring pepper spray to every protest I attend in order to defend myself if I am threatened. This would be self-defense. I have never come anywhere near using it.

If our government ever reaches a point where government officials are “coming for” me, or my family or friends – I’m talking Holocaust shit here, and I’m not saying I think this is going to happen, I’m just describing a hypothetical situation – no, I would not just peacefully surrender my loved ones to be hauled off to a concentration camp.

Beyond these scenarios, it’s hard to imagine me ever using violence.

I would, in a heartbeat, defend my family with violence if they were being threatened with harm.

I would likely use violence as a defensive means of self protection, if I was, for example, attacked while being part of a peaceful demonstration.

I have never been in a wartime circumstance, but I might resort to violence in a resistance circumstance (as in WWII Europe).

I don’t buy the “I would never, under any circumstances, be violent” thing, letting your children be needlessly hurt because you’re too high minded to protect them is just awful.

Physical violence from political anger? Not likely. Civil disobedience, tactics such as @Mariah and @janbb describe, are way more my speed.

Very unlikely, I’m not a hot head. It’s only justifiable in the most extreme circumstances.

Isn’t this the same group that defends Antifa and has stated that it’s okay to take any action necessary to stop something they deem evil? Funny how they all deny it now.

Me? Doubtful. My brother? No doubt! (He’s a REPUBLICAN!!!)

What group, @seawulf575? Us? I missed the threads where anyone “has stated that it’s okay to take any action necessary to stop something they deem evil?”

@seawulf575 Please link us to an example.

@seawulf575 . I believe your talking about me, not the rest of the pond. And yes, I will get violent, but only as a reaction to violence. I would not simply physically attack someone over politics. If they put their hands on me, I’ll have no problems stomping a puddle in their ass though.

The only people that I’ve seen attacking anyone, are Trumpers. Bombs, shootings, showing up at protests with rifles, firing into crowds, driving into crowds etc. Will I resort to violence to stop violence? Absolutely.

I speak only for myself…

Not when it comes to politics,I would sooner walk away than deal with an idiot.
Threaten harm to Mrs Squeeky I will rip off your arm and beat you until dead, that violent enough for ya?

I have no illusions. I could be enraged enough for violence defending my country. Foreign and domestic.

@filmfann Love the honesty.

No. I can’t picture myself becoming violent. In fact, if the country became violent I think I’m more likely to flight than fight. I have my passport.

If you mean just in an argument with people about politics could I become violent? Or, if I was in some sort of protest or demonstration, or annoyed with people who were demonstrating? Never!

If a leader ever dissolved the constitution and named themselves dictator/emperor/whatever I would be willing to fight to restore our democracy, or if we had a genuine threat of foreign invasion. Short of that, no—I do my fighting with my brain.