So... What IS the "Right Thing" exactly?

The debate between fighting opposition with force or with peace is exactly what separates Martin Luther King Jr. from Malcolm X. Fighting fire with fire has often been seen as the exact wrong way of handling any situation, but does simply turning a cheek and moving forward suffice if the aggressor is violent?

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X

Sal about to smash Radio Raheem's boom box in Do the Right Thing

As a Christian, my method in dealing with aggression has always been a more passive response. I'm not a person who enjoys conflict; if anything, I avoid it altogether. But as I was growing up, my mom constantly reminded me that standing up for myself was just as necessary. Her favorite line was, "Don't be the one to start the fight, but be sure to finish it." Thankfully, I never found myself in any situation where I would have needed to exercise this notion. Lol.

With these things in mind, the peaceful approach is my go-to perspective when it comes to issues that require more thought and action to resolve, like racism and discrimination. I do sometimes feel as though using violence may perpetuate the negative stereotypes that many minorities possess, seen distinctly in this film. The quote by Martin Luther King Jr. really ties into the plot of Do the Right Thing because the progression of the plot is ultimately driven by the violence of the major characters, including Buggin' Out and Radio Raheem. King says, "Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love...", and if love and acceptance are what we are trying to achieve, then why would we use force and violence to receive them?  Buggin' Out's persistence with trying to arouse conflict between Sal and the members of the community is what led to the unfortunate conclusion to the movie, where the pizzeria is burned to shreds from the outrage of the people. Of course, the actual rebellion would not have been sparked if it wasn't for Sal's final act of incompliance, or more specifically, smashing Radio Raheem's boom box to pieces. I'm not saying that Buggin' Out's motive was unjustified, as I do believe that appealing to your patrons is essential to receiving and retaining good business. However, his approach did more hurt than good for obvious reasons, but also because it was much too aggressive to receive any positive feedback in the first place. With that being said, Sal smashing the radio to pieces was incredibly important because this had been the only way of conveying such a powerful message for the community without speaking, and Sal destroyed this, representing our voices being silenced once again.  https://youtu.be/TQ4y7GPeFBY?t=1m15s