Thoughts about violence

[firecat]

I don't think it's OK to act physically violent out of anger or out of wanting someone else to "back down." I do think force is necessary / legitimate sometimes but generally not in the service of anger.

It bothers me a lot that a person might think it's OK to act violently toward another person as a result of words, however crass/thoughtless the words might be. If the person were trapped and unable to get away from the words, that would be another story, but using violence in response to words when one's options include if walking away or using words back? That is a form of escalation that bothers me.