The Techniques of Cesar Chavez in David Cortrights Book, Gandhi and Beyond Essay Example

from Delano, CA, to Sacramento. This was a method that had been effectively used by both Gandhi and King to promote their cause. Chavez's march, or peregrinacion, was one of the final tipping points for la huelga.

As the marchers arrived in Sacramento, they numbered in the thousands, and many of the major grape growers in the Valley agreed to recognize the Farmer's Association. Chavez's use of the protest march was impeccable. His strike on grape growers was nearing a standstill, but his pilgrimage refueled the entire valley and ended the strike much sooner than it would have otherwise. He also put the farmworkers' plight on the national stage and helped gain support of many prominent individuals, including Senator Robert F.

Kennedy who was a proponent of the Farmworkers Association for the rest of his life. I was very inspired by Chavez's methods of nonviolent resistance and his persistence that eventually led to much better working conditions for the farm laborers. I am also continually amazed by the power of nonviolent resistance: “Common discourse generally associates violence with ‘bad' and non violence with 'good'” (Bond, p. 81).

Bond juxtaposes the social connotations of non-violent with violent. People are more likely to be inspired and uplifted by a non-violent action because it has that positive connotation with it. The connotations of violent and non-violent also hold in other scenarios. If a non-violent demonstration is responded to by violence from the oppressing power, negative attention is brought on the act.

In so many instances throughout history, a violent reaction to a non-violent action has resulted in public outrage and lead to even more civil disobedience. Japanese rule in Korea during the

1910's was harsh. But “At 2 pm on March 1st of 1919, 33 nationalist leaders gathered at Taehwagwan Restaurant in Seoul and read out the Korean Declaration of Independence. The same thing happened in other appointed sites throughout Korea at the same time. Masses assembled and started peaceful demonstrations..." (Lee, p.

1). This bold non-violent act brought harsh Japanese retribution. An estimated 7,500 Koreans were killed that day by Japanese enforcers. However, though Korean freedom did not occur right away, this act brought a lot of negative pressure and feelings towards the Japanese from all over, and brought a lot of positive vibes to the Koreans who were seen as heroically standing up for what they believe in.

I opened this paper with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. The quote presents an analogy of human oppression. I like to use that quote when thinking of violent and non-violent disobedience. If you pinch the man's ankles while he rides your back, he can stay on if he is determined.

But if you refuse to move, he will surely grow impatient and get off. Only then can you stand up. Is non-violent resistance as effective or more or less effective than it was during the time of Chavez?