I applaud and thank Mayor Mark Chilton for his clear evocation of Satyagraha, or nonviolence, in pursuit of constructive social change, written in The Carrboro Citizen (Nov. 17). He was frank and courageous, as many politicians are not, in voicing his dilemma as both a practitioner of nonviolence and as mayor in last Sunday’s police action. He had to decide what role the Carrboro Police Department should play when Chapel Hill police used assault rifles to remove squatters, a minority faction of the Occupy CH movement, from a vacant building (the two towns have a mutual aid agreement).
He pointed to the futility of violence, whether national or local, and how it leads nowhere, whereas nonviolent action is more likely to persuade observers of protest. Violence only motivates more violence, as many critical historic events demonstrate, and results in the devastation and huge costs we have seen in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.
The general assembly of the Occupiers agreed to non-provocative actions and nonviolence. The minority faction chose another path, and the authorities arguably overreacted. Let us urge our leaders to gather more widely based intelligence and develop a more varied toolbox for law enforcement so that last week’s event is the rare exception in public safety.Â
Nancy Milio
Chapel Hill