I think this society is less free and democratic than it has ever been.

As for the use of violence ... I'm still thinking that one out. I avoid violence and have never had occasion to use it, but if someone were attacking my loved ones, I couldn't see that I wouldn't use violence. I also have never been a part of a severely oppressed society, and in some ways I can see that violent revolution is the only thing that makes a change.

But for the ideas Bush espouses ... corporate power, every country having the same kind of "freedom" as ours ... I don't think violence is called for at all.

Also, although I don't have the citations to back this one up, I've heard that King was not necessarily anti-violence. On one occasion he even posed a hypothetical question about not only avoiding the draft in Vietnam, but switching sides ... I remember hearing this in one of his speeches; anyone have more details?

teresa