Simon Wedt Analysis

Simon Wendt’s article “God, Gandhi, and Guns” and Ted Shine’s one act play “Contribution” revolve around the American Civil Rights Movement. Both works emphasize the success of non-violent protests in the Civil Rights Movement; however, each work recognize how the use of force in conjunction with non-violence can be effective. Simon Wendt discusses the importance of an armed black defense organization in Tuscaloosa and Ted Shine discusses the use of assassination as an effective tool in social change. Both authors treat these forceful forms of protest in similar, positive ways, likely due to viewing segregationists as willfully ignorant. Wendt’s article shines a positive light on the black defense organization operating in Tuscaloosa, AL alongside non-violent protestors. In his closing paragraph Wendt summarizes the impact that the defense organization had on the movement: ”It is important to stress the role of the black community’s defense organization in pacifying Tuscaloosa. It is …show more content…
Wendt uses the story of Tuscaloosa segregationists mobbing a famous tanned white celebrity who they thought was black to show that the segregationists were ignorant of their actions. Similarly, Shine’s character Mrs. Love relates that her personal reason for poisoning the Sheriff stems from the racist, ignorant, and disrespectful treatment she experienced growing up as a black women. Shine and Wendt treat these stories as examples for why the segregationists were ignorant and as such could only be reasoned with when they feared some consequence. The success of the non-violent protests in Tuscaloosa as well as the success of the fictionalized sit-in in “Contribution” both stemmed from the implied threat of force. Wendt and Shine both attribute the need for implied force due to the ignorance and irrationality of