MDMD Dixon's act of nonviolence

[Scott Badger]

Doug:
> after
> consulting his conscience he decides not to inflict any further
> harm, takes
> the whip so the slave driver can't harm the slaves with it, with
> some stern
> parting words (which the slave driver mocks -- apparently not taking them
> for a serious death threat).  Dixon uses just enough force to prevent
> further harm to these slaves in this situation, having resisted
> his urge to
> kill the slave driver, and he appears to use the force in a thoughtful way
> -- stopping to think about it -- instead of proceeding as an unthinking
> brute intent only on inflicting violence to effect the desired change in
> the slave driver's behavior.

What Dixon didn't do is prevent the slave-driver from harming these and
other slaves in the future, nor does he exact retribution for the harm
already caused. Instead, he chooses to prevent himself from being harmed,
knowing that his parting threats and the taking of the whip are impotent
gestures. It seems to me that this is what his crisis of conscience is
about.

Scott Badger