For there is another kind of violence, slower but just as deadly destructive as the shot or the bomb in the night. This is the violence of institutions; indifference and inaction and slow decay. This is the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin has different colors. This is the slow destruction of a child by hunger, and schools without books and homes without heat in the winter. This is the breaking of a man's spirit by denying him the chance to stand as a father and as a man among other men. And this too afflicts us all.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Institutional neglect and social indifference constitute a slow, destructive form of violence affecting the poor and marginalized.
- In plain terms
- Ignoring the poor and unequal institutions hurt people just as much as physical violence.
- What can you take from it?
- Social neglect and systemic inequality are forms of violence.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What systemic issues cause suffering today?
- How can we measure institutional violence?
Another view
Some argue individual action matters more than targeting institutions.
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