Ryan Bodine

Social Justice

The Molly Maguires is a film that covers an often over-looked part of American history. It shows a story of an abused and beaten down immigrant work force. Left cornered in poverty and with very few options, the workers in the movie are forced to fight back in less than democratic ways. I personally think that the way the workers were treated was atrocious. Greed motivated un-regulated companies to abuse workers. The companies risked their employees very lives in order to save a penny. While I do not blame the workers for lashing out in the violent way that they did; I do think that there could have been alternative methods to fight their oppression. I reacted to the way the companies treated the workers with disgust. Not only did the companies abuse the workers, but the United States government did nothing to stop them. There were no workers rights regulations and there certainly werent any laws passed to protect the workers from the awful conditions they were being exposed to. The corruption was so bad that even the police force worked in favor of the corporations. They were willing to commit crimes themselves in order to stop the Molly Maguires. At that point, they are no longer there to serve and protect the people, they are there to serve and protect the rich corporations. This is, in my opinion, one of the most disgraceful aspects of the entire situation. The culture of the United States was one of great selfishness and greed. The needs of the many were outweighed by the needs of the few, which is not what our democracy is supposed to accomplish.

Ryan Bodine

I personally do not blame the Molly Maguires for responding to their situation with violence. It was an injustice on the corporation and the US governments part that led to the injustices done by the Molly Maguires. However, the way they acted is not the way a responsible democratic citizen should have acted. Had they been more patient, they may have been able to openly organize a labor union. It was labor unions that eventually changed government policies to protect workers from this type of abuse. Using violence and force may eventually work, but it is a much slower and less effective process. When one uses violence it often makes the movement theyre working towards look bad. I believe if one looks through history, Malcolm-Xs strategy to social justice vs. Dr. Martin Luther King Juniors strategy shows how a non-violent, democratic approach is in the long run more effective and just. They should not have used violence as their main method of rebellion. While I established that the correct, democratically responsible way to handle the situation was by non-violent protest and the organization of labor unions; I do not think I would have acted any different if I were in their shoes. I personally believe I would not have the patience to organize democratically. I would be to upset and angry, and would likely lash out with violence and sabotage. The only alternative I could see to retaliating with violence is simply fleeing and searching for a new way of life. I would not have the patience to wait for a nonviolent solution; nor would I have the bravery to stick around and fight if I were given the opportunity to leave. I would only fight if I were unable to escape the situation. While this may not make me the ideal democratic citizen, it helps me

Ryan Bodine

identify with the suffering workers and their struggle. In the end, it was a grave social injustice done by the US government for not protecting the works, and the corporations for putting the workers in danger in the first place. While the actions of the Molly Maguires were certainly not those of responsible democratic citizens, they were in my opinion understandable given the situation they were put in. I doubt I personally would have reacted any differently had I been confronted with a similar situation. It is our responsibility as democratic citizens of the United States to learn from the mistakes and injustices committed in history, as to not repeat them. The legislative structure of a democratic state was created for the sole purpose of serving the people. It is our responsibility to use the structure given to us to solve our problems in a civilized and democratic manner. If we do not do this, and avoid democracy for whatever reason, we are committing an injustice to everyone else in our democratic state.