Alex Blackwelder

I've been thinking more about an experience I had at Mountain Justice Spring Break 2009. I was photographing a workshop on non-violent direct action, and the participants were asked to sculpt themselves into a statue that showed what non-violence means to them. As you can see, everyone's statues were different. Some were more defensive, some spiritual, and others very vulnerable.

It was refreshing to be around a group of people talking about stuff like this. What role does non-violence play in our lives as a principle? Is it a tactic of protest or a lifestyle? I may not agree with some of the ideas people had, but I LOVED talking about it. I find philosophy and ethics to be one of the most undervalued ideas in our modern society. Why don't we talk about this stuff? Shouldn't our ethics and morals constantly be re-evaluated? Maybe I'll make an effort to bring it up in a conversation.