Thinking About Sad Things - Part Three: Violence and Black Bloc's Philosophy "Philosophy is the practice of making

and assessing arguments. An argument is a set of statements (called premises) that work together to support another statement (the conclusion). Making and assessing arguments can help us get closer to understanding the truth. At the very least, the process helps make us aware of our reasons for believing what we believe, and it enables us to use reason when we discuss our beliefs with other people." http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/philosophy/ So, now you know where I am going with this missive. Those who know me, know that I value reason and thinking based on sound thinking. I am going to try and make myself aware of my reasons for believing what I do, and hopefully for acting the way I do. Is it really possible to know and understand the rational and irrational bases for ones actions? Seems to me that this question might be worth more study and reflect. If you appreciate this type of reading and thinking, then maybe you too will want to reflect on the words and pictures that follow.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013 - Acts of violence involving the "Black Bloc" in So Paulo, Brazil.
What follows is a true (my version) story of a recent violent incident that my wife and I had the opportunity (unfortunately?) to be participants. It seems to be a good way to introduce a topic that has been gnawing within me for many years, and now I have decided to make some time and study and develop my thoughts about peace and violence a little better. Here's the story: It was peaceful and unseasonable warm evening in So Paulo, and we were beginning to settle down and channel surf on the TV. Usually the remote control is in my wife's, Wanda, hand and I'm beside her, half watching the TV with her and half doing something on the computer and / or internet. Then from down in the street rose a strange bubble of noise. While I looked out of the window, I called to Wanda to come and see. All the trash that was stacked in the bags and baskets waiting to be collected later that night had been thrown out into the street. And maybe a hundred or so people could be seen running up the street, followed by what appeared to be photographers, some using gas masks. As part of a personal study, Wanda quickly picked up here camera and ran down to the street. I thought she would just take some pictures from the front gate and come back upstairs. Much to my surprise, as I continued to watch from the window, Wanda ran right out after the first group. And then I began to feel the teargas burn in my eyes. Obviously, I went down into the street too,

hoping to help her... from whatever might happen. The situation that I found involved in can be seen in a photographic collage that I made at the end of this missive. So, that's how we came to be personally involved in a Black Bloc incident; fortunately in a non-violent manner and with no physical or legal consequences. The mental consequences, both conscious and unconscious are still reverberating in our lives and conversations. This is the incident that led me to create a list of related topics that had already been forming in my mind, and now have led me to start studying them better and to start writing down my feelings and thoughts. When discussing this incident and some of the rationale behind the way the group Black Bloc acts, Wanda's daughter, Mariana, surprised me with a comment that went something like this: "some social changes only happen if violence is used". Mariana is a very intelligent, generous, liberal and peaceful personal, so this comment of hers really motivated me go deeper into the subject of violence and social change. However, in my so far admittedly limited studies and mostly done through the internet, I came across some different points of view to this subject of social change versus violence. The concept of "Rule of Law" and the writings of Norberto Bobbio seemed pertinent and worth continued study. Trying not to only read and study what I personally find appealing, I found and read some of the ideas of John Zerzan. I found them interesting and worthwhile, even though I don't agree with much of what he wrote and his opinions. Here are some links which I have consulted and intend to go back and study more toughly. It doesn't seem necessary to repeat here what can easily be read and interpreted with their own "filters". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_bloc http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norberto_Bobbio http://www.johnzerzan.net/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Zerzan

For now, what I would like to present for my readers further consideration are two quotations that I found by Hannah Arendt. These quotations by Arendt seem, to me at least, to be a good counter argument to Mariana's comment about "some social change needs to be brought about by violence". http://www.egs.edu/library/hannah-arendt/quotes/ 1. Forgiveness is the exact opposite of vengeance, which acts in the form of re-enacting against an original trespassing whereby far from putting an end to the consequences of the first misdeed, everybody remains bound to the process, permitting the chain reaction contained in every action to take its unhindered course. 2. Today all these old verities about the relation between war and politics or about violence and power have become inapplicable. The Second World War was not followed by peace, but by a cold war and the establishment of a military-industrial-labor complex. Arendt, Hannah. On Violence. Mariner Books. March 11, 1970. Paperback, 120 pages, Language English, ISBN: 0156695006.

The above is a collage I made of photographs taken off the internet on a Tuesday evening describe above. It shows how my wife become involved (peacefully, mercifully).