A Culture of Violence

As riots take place in almost two dozen countries, it is hard for most people to comprehend why a movie, which allegedly insulted those of the Muslim religion, would cause such a violent reaction. A movie! Perhaps understandable when you realize that the riots are taking place in areas where there is little or no freedom of expression and where the lives of individuals are subjected to control, both from government and religious leaders. Most of these riots are simply an excuse by a small minority of trouble makers whose purpose in life seems to bestow havoc on anyone that does not share their system of beliefs. In referring to certain countries still struggling to establish democratic governments, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that the people in those countries did not rid themselves from the tyranny of one dictator only to be replaced by mob rule. Unfortunately, it was the tyrants that kept the mob culture suppressed. That reactionary culture, an established way of life in many of these countries, addresses the issue of conflict resolution in the only way they know, through violence.