Peace, no matter through what means, is the ultimate goal in any society. Throughout the ages, wars have been waged, crusades and slaughter swept across holy lands, and genocides which have slaughtered millions of human lives have all been perpetrated on the pretense that if these atrocities are carried out, the outcome will be peace. The Nobel Prize celebrates peace across the globe, and awards those who have brought peace to the societies they represent. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. desired peace on such a level that he met and reacted to violence with the contrary, non-violence. He believed the only way a just and lasting peace could be achieved was to, no matter what one was faced with, respond in a manner which conveys love and positivity. President Barack Obama, who was also a Nobel Peace Prize honoree, shared this sentiment, but only to an extent. Both of these powerful
…show more content…
He sympathises with King on some levels, as he does quote King at one point, stating “Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones.”(Obama, line 75) While he agrees with this sentiment to an extent, as he himself would not be in the position he was in if were not for Martin Luther King Jr.’s work, the position he is in represents an entire country of people of all different races, ethnicities, religions and nationalities. All of which he was sworn to serve and protect. With the modern threat of terrorism, he and the country face opponents that cannot be reasoned with through a nonviolent method. “Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda’s leaders to lay down their arms,” (Obama, lines 82-83) and only the use of force will stop this imposing threat on the world. Meeting violence with violence, while never preferred, must be applied, not necessarily to achieve peace, but to remove obstacles in the way of
He sympathises with King on some levels, as he does quote King at one point, stating “Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones.”(Obama, line 75) While he agrees with this sentiment to an extent, as he himself would not be in the position he was in if were not for Martin Luther King Jr.’s work, the position he is in represents an entire country of people of all different races, ethnicities, religions and nationalities. All of which he was sworn to serve and protect. With the modern threat of terrorism, he and the country face opponents that cannot be reasoned with through a nonviolent method. “Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda’s leaders to lay down their arms,” (Obama, lines 82-83) and only the use of force will stop this imposing threat on the world. Meeting violence with violence, while never preferred, must be applied, not necessarily to achieve peace, but to remove obstacles in the way of