i participated in the women's center's week without violence today. the event was the speak out, where students and community members are invited (anyone can participate) to give a speech, read a poem or prose, sing a song or otherwise verbally convey an anti-violence message.

the following is what i said.



"Conventional wisdom tells us that a person’s fist is about the size of her or his heart. Kind of a weird comparison. When we think of a fist – all balled up, dense, solid, angry, unforgiving – we think of something forceful, something immediate, something reactionary. The strength we think of is brutal and painful.

When we think of a heart, though, none of those things come to mind. We think of vitality, integrity, love and warmth. The heart represents emotion and sentiment, caring, understanding and concern. Our hearts keep us living, pumping through our veins the very blood that sustains us. It’s arguably the most important organ in the human body – but it’s so much more than that.

It’s because of our heart that we know that fists could never solve anything. In our hearts we recognize that being a domineering boyfriend or starting a pigheaded barfight are little more than pathetic attempts to establish power roles, ways to use physical strength as an immediate means to make up for a lack of something else – whether that’s character, integrity, valiance, courage, whatever.

A fist can’t make up for any of this. The bloodied hand is no comparison to the open heart, and we’ve seen open hearts solve plenty of problems. Look at Gandhi. Look at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Who says nonviolence has to be passive? Who says pacifism only demonstrates weakness?

Ironically enough, a fist isn’t entirely useless. So long as it’s not used as simply a blunt weapon, it can actually aid in the cause of nonviolence. It can be used to demonstrate clear opposition in the very face of violence.

Like this. (*raise fist.)

This says we’re not going to be quiet anymore. This says we’re going to stand up for our right to be free from violent coercion and intimidation. This says we will fight back, but that won’t include a black eye or a trip to Intensive Care. This says we have purpose, we have dignity, we have strength and we have love, for ourselves and for anyone who has ever fallen victim to violence’s simplistic ways.

This fist can be used for good. But only if there’s a good heart behind it. Thank you."