Ulture

Robert Luggi
Contributor
Fo the most part, violence is seen
as a terrible way to express oneself,
and perhaps it is. Violence can be
random and sporadic, or well-thought
out and calculated. With that being
said, can violence be used to achieve
specific goals? It certainly can, but
not without entering the questionable
realm of morality. Being violent can
discredit a person in the public eye;
there is no love lost on a violent
person. However, what if violence is
used to achieve some sort of greater
good for society? This argument comes
full circle into Machiavellian ideals.

Violence is often viewed as being
immoral, but at what point does
performing violence for the greater
good become moral? Machiavelli
makes it clear in his famous book The
Prince that the line begins fo blur. On
top of that, when one studies and
observes humanity's evolutionary
history (or even the history of other
species) one will discover that violence
is a necessary way of life. The “fight-or-
flight” instinct that is innate in all beings
has been proven (by psychologists
such as Ben Martin) to be a prime
motivator of our actions at the core of
our existence. Although we currently
live in a society which does not need
to kill a saber-toothed tiger with a

On Violence: Questions of Morality

sharpened stick, nor pick the right
berries for consumption to survive,
these prime motivators are still at work,
as demonstrated in academic research
in social anthropology and human

psychology.

In today's world, violence is expressed
through such high-profile actions as
the calculated capture and elimination
of a terrorist madman for the greater
good of global society. Violence is also
glorified through blood sports, such
as Mixed Martial Arts and wrestling.
Violence is not going away anytime
soon. Should violence be necessary
to achieve anyone's goals? These
ideas are mere components to a much
bigger picture.

One may ask, “How is this relevant

to us as members of a university
community? Why do we need to know
about such a thing?” Well, there is no
place for violence in any area of higher
education, unless of course somebody
is disobeying provincial or federal law
or the rules and regulations of the
facility in which they are associated. In
that case, the proper authorities of law
and order should get involved, using
reasonable force (an official form of
violence) when necessary. However,
violence is unlikely to be involved in our
everyday lives, unless there is a very
serious threat to one’s physical well-
being.

In the context of Prince George, there
are provincial and federal laws that
have to be abided, in order for society
to run. However, human nature causes
deviations from the norm, requiring
police force to maintain law and order.
Being thrown to the ground by a
peace officer can happen fo anyone in

this city, depending on what one did,
or did not do.

Violence within Canada is a
controversial topic, even as a country
which is often thought of as peaceful
on the international stage. Canada’s
history blatantly shows the use of
violence. One such instance is the well-
known 1970 FLO Crisis, where ministers
of the Quebec provincial government
were threatened by Quebec
separatists, eventually ending in the
loss of life of an elected Minister. In
response, the War Measures Act was
enacted by then-Prime Minister Pierre
Trudeau in order to stop the internal
threat to Canada's sovereignty,
essentially by any means necessary -
even at the expense of freedom to a
few “bleeding hearts.”

On an international level, the conflict
in Syria, where apparent violations
of long-standing international law
took place, is a perfect example of
violence being used for the greater
good. The civil war is taking place in
a region where rebels are attempting

to overthrow the current government

in power, and has been reported in
multiole sources for months. In Syria,
the government is accused of using
chemical weapons against the rebels,
which resulted in the death of over a
thousand civilians. These violations to
the Geneva Conventions have been
enough for America to consider getting
involved. The fact that children died is
a factor in increasing American public
support for going to war. However,
things do not appear to be working in
America's favor, as the international
community does not support foreign
involvement in Syria. Even so, President
Obama and his political advisors were
more than ready to use violence to
achieve the upholding of international
law. The ideals of Machiavelli are at
play here. Canada almost became
involved in another war in the Middle
East by following the lead of the United
States, and maybe for all the wrong
reasons. In the end, it appears that the
right decision was made and perhaps
the situation should be observed

from afar in order for our government
officials to determine what to do about
the potential of declaring war on Syria.
Whether violence should be used to
achieve a goal towards the greater
good really depends on who is asked,
and what the situation is. Sometimes
law and order has to be upheld, by
any means necessary.

A City “To Do” List: What (Else) to do now that you're here (or back)

Sarah Jackson

Culture Editor

Pu George's reputation as

an unexciting city in the middle

of nowhere is somewhat of a self-
perpetuating myth. Those of you who
are willing to take the bus "down the
hill” and explore the town will find that
Prince George is full of interesting
nooks and crannies that you would
never expect. While there are many
cultural and musical events that take
place sparatically throughout the year,
many alternative activities can be
found all year round.

Downtown Prince George features

an eclectic collection of shopping and
restaurants, such as boutiques on 3rd
Ave that sell all sorts of neat goodies.
For anyone looking fo spend their
Friday nights somewhere other than
the city's clubs, many pubs, restaurants,
and cates offer excellent food and live
music throughout the week.

UNBC itself has excellent access

to many hiking trails, which lead to
wilderness parks such as Forest for the
World, while other parks throughout
the city are great places to relax and
explore. For example, Connaught

Hill, which offers a great view of the
downtown core, or Fort George Park,
which is the site of many events and
fundraisers throughout the year and

is also home to Prince George's local
museum, The Exploration Place.

Prince George is also home to its
very own symphony, which offers
affordable shows throughout the year.
It hosts many theatre productions, the
last of which, Les Miserables, was an
amazing local rendition of the classic

play.

If you are looking for something a little
more casual, check out the Roll-A-
Dome, or do some bowling at one of
Prince George's many bowling alleys.
The coliseum features ice skating in the
winter, as do a number of outdoor

rinks. Students get a pass to the
olympic sized swimming pool, so be
sure to go try the highboard. Last, but
not least, downtown Prince George is
home to a Farmer's Market throughout
the entire year. If you cannot make

it to the University Farmer's Market

on Tuesdays, head downtown every

Saturday to enjoy the wonderful,
locally made, and produced foods and
products. New stores and restaurants
are opening all the time, all in an
attempt to get students fo go down the
hill - so try itl

or 3]

: Downtown Prince George