Passive resistance as a powerful tool for social and political change Passive resistance, defined simply as "peaceful resistance through fasting or refusal to cooperate" (hyper -dictionary) is a complex issue and a powerful tool to achieve a means through absolutely zero violence. As Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi argued, passive resistance is a noble means to a peaceful end, in which only followers of a movement risk themselves and do no harm to those they oppose. “Passive resistance,” according to Mahatma Gandhi, “is a weapon on all sides; it can be used anyway; it blesses those who use it and those against whom it is used. Without drawing a drop of blood it produces far-reaching results. It never rusts and cannot be stolen. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi knew that the police force could not suffocate those who would not fight against them. Likewise, no matter how powerful a government is, the hearts of those fighting for a just cause cannot be appeased. Others are also touched by those who passionately fight for their cause without using violence, and believe that independence from those who oppress is the key to developing a change in the social and political structure. While soldiers are easily mobilized to fight an enemy who will kill one of their own, they cannot be so easily pressured into killing innocents who simply oppose them without ever resorting to violence. It is a basic human instinct to react to a physical threat (usually by eliminating it), but if no physical threat exists, it is impossible to justify taking a life. Police forces face this dilemma when they encounter passive resisters. Although passive resistance can hinder a regime, a government or a society, for us this is difficult to justify... halfway... completely. Martin Luther King Jr. helped bring peace and equal rights to the most powerful nation in the world. Mahatma Gandhi helped India gain independence from Great Britain and thus contributed to the formation of the largest democracy in the world. Mahatma Gandhi held no truth stronger than that passive resistance is the only right battle to fight. Why people feel for others: “The sacrifice of one innocent man is a million times more powerful than the sacrifice of a million men dying in the act of killing others. The voluntary sacrifice of the innocent is the most powerful response to insolent tyranny that has ever been conceived by God or man." Works Cited - Mahatma Gandhi, "The gospel of Satyagraha" - Martin Luther King Jr. "I've been to the Mountaintop”- Henry David Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience”- Hyper Dictionary, www.dictionary.com