How many times have you heard it said that violence is never the answer? Well, what’s the right response for the situation found in this video that allegedly shows a blind teen being hit by another teen? 

We don’t know what transpired beforehand, but we can recognize the inability of the blind teen to defend himself even if he somehow started the altercation. If justice is to give to each his due, then the teen hitting the blind kid most certainly should be stopped and an inquiry into what happened should be made. But can you do it without committing violence? Even if you waited to get “the authorities”, wouldn’t they likely use some form of violence against the teen hitting the blind teen?

Of course. And that’s the problem.

When we rely upon phrases such as “violence is never the answer” or “war is never the answer” to interpret events and form our responses, we limit our ability to weigh the justice of the matter. Sometimes violence is necessary. Sometimes war is necessary. Not all evil can be reasoned with in the moment.