two ➢ voice

[restoringhonor]

[Filtered from Sveta & Howie]

Before I came here, the Avatar - my friend - was faced with the problem of wanting a nonviolent solution to a violent conflict. He was raised to believe that all life was sacred, and wanted to find another way to stop it, even though ending the threat permanently would restore peace and end a war that had.

I thought he was being naive. That violence was the only way to stop what was happening. But he found a solution that didn't end in murder while still eliminating the threat.

Obviously I don't know Howie or Sveta as well as I know my friend. But maybe that can work here, too.

... Does anyone need any assistance with what's going on?

[Private to Iroh]

Are you alright?

Comments

voice

[restoringhonor]

[DO YOU HAVE HOOK SWORDS AND SOME STRAW TO CHEW ON. IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.]

You need to lead people by example. Violence can solve problems, but it's not the only solution, and if you think it is, all it does is create more hatred.

voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

[SHE DID LIVE ON A FARM SO STRAW IS A MAYBE.]

You need to lead people however you must to keep them alive to fight on. There's no point in peace when it's gained because you're all dead and your enemies have won.

voice

[restoringhonor]

[THIS IS TOO PERFECT.]

But that can be accomplished in so many ways. Killing everyone who gets in your way doesn't make you any better than the people you're fighting against.

voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

I have no interest in senseless killing.

voice

[restoringhonor]

But you do kill people who serve your king. Who oppose you.

Re: voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

They turned their swords against us long before we began to fight back.

voice

[restoringhonor]

They hurt you. They hurt your family. I understand that. But killing them just makes them feel justified in hurting your people further.

Re: voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

And if I do not kill them... they kill us anyway.

No, I don't think much of your strategy. Better to die fighting and give others courage to do the same than to die starving...and leave others to do that.

voice

[restoringhonor]

That's only a temporary solution. What are you going to do to actually better your world?

voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

I'm dead.

voice

[restoringhonor]

If you'd survived.

Re: voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

I'd have shown the world that a country doesn't need a King. That the people can rule themselves and do it well and fairly - and that humans can work in peace with races the King wanted to cast as only our enemies.

It takes war to bring down an unwilling, unjust King. I would have brought it to him.

voice

[restoringhonor]

How can they do it well and fairly, and really bring peace, if you're encouraging them to use the same methods used against them?

voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

I never encouraged anyone to starve the soldiers or steal everything they owned and drive them to desperation, then refuse them all aid.

But there is no such thing as a war without death.

voice

[restoringhonor]

No. But that doesn't mean you can't fight with honor and justice.

Re: voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

Honor is a luxury for the noble and the rich.

I have never wanted anything more or less than justice for my people.

voice

[restoringhonor]

That's not true. Honor isn't something you're just handed because of your social status. It's something you need to fight for, and earn.

Re: voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

[She laughs cynically.]

Given the chance between honor and victory, knowing that defeat would mean children starved to death, women mauled and eaten by monsters, men cut down by their own king's men... what would you choose?

And don't tell me both. There's no time to fight for anything but life.

voice

[restoringhonor]

I'd rather do the honorable thing. At least I've set an example for my people, and died doing the right thing.

Re: voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

I'm sure they'd treasure it for the next few hours as they all died in agony.

voice

[restoringhonor]

At least I'd have died doing the right thing.

Re: voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

Your right thing is betraying your people to their deaths for your own selfishness.

Not entirely unexpected, coming from a Warden.

voice

[restoringhonor]

I fought with honor and we won. Choosing that over absolute victory freed my people from a cycle of oppression and violence that started a hundred years ago. Slaughtering our enemies would have done nothing but continue a pointless war that almost destroyed our world.

voice

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

Count yourself lucky that you had a choice at all.

voice

[restoringhonor]

I do.