Well I do agree with your points in this response for the most part. I still don't understand how the steps I laid forth won't accomplish the same thing. Of course forgiveness entails working through anger issues. And yes martial arts is great for that, punching bags also work well to get out anger without ever physically fighting another human being.
Also the reason I spent so much time explaining the importance of dwelling on peace rather than protesting war and exposing the warmongers is that I know anti-war does not equal peace. World peace comes after inner peace, and obviously those of us who have much repressed anger/rage and other negative emotions have not yet attained inner peace.
I am certainly WELL aware that gov. schools are all about violence - gov. is the monopoly of force. And yes boys AND girls need to be taught self defense, I do not disagree.
However there is a fine line between defense and revenge. To "turn the other cheek" courageously in the face of a bully I would argue takes away the bully's power. It breaks the cycle of violence. And yes a bully beating up someone smaller than himself is an act of violence in my book.
We can learn self defense and also still learn to love our enemies, and hopefully never need to use our self defense skills to take another life. Because even in cases of absolute self defense, killing another man or woman leaves a deep inner wound we will have to work through and heal, a scar that will remain with us for a very long time if not our whole life.
Words are powerful, and can solve most problems and disagreements between people. I would argue that not only is the problem that gov. schools punish victims for standing up to the bully by fighting back, but also "political correctness" in this society being pushed to such an extreme that so many people refuse to offend others with their words, or even simply refuse risking offending someone. The crackdown on free speech leads, imo, to increased violence. Those who suppress their true feelings in order to 'not offend' those around them, will likely express those feelings in acts of violence later on... When we are not 'allowed' to argue and debate with each other is the day we begin physically fighting each other.
I understand your point of view much better know, and I think the wording of your 1st reply just threw me off from where you were coming from. And in case you were wondering, I also happen to be a well armed pro-gun peace activist. I think we are actually far more in agreement than disagreement... Thanks for the interaction! Take care.