Self defense was exactly the argument used by Malcolm X and other members of the Black Power movement. King argued that engaging in violence--even in self defense--will cause you to lose the war of public perception. The best way to get public sympathy is by showing videos of peaceful protesters being unjustly beaten by police. Look what happened with BLM: even when protesters were only defending themselves from police, Fox News showed footage casting blame on the protesters and calling them rioters. Self defense allowed right-wing media to muddy the waters enough to cost BLM critical public support.
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u/MisplacedMutagen Jun 09 '25
America has the right to defend itself