--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What has violence ever accomplished? What…" description: "\"What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? No martyr's cause has ever been stilled by an assassin's bullet. No wrongs have ever bee..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/912/robert-kennedy-2083_hero_what-has-violence-ever-accomplished-what_1506961.jpg" --- # What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever… ![“What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? No martyr's cause has ever been stilled by an assassin's bullet. No wrongs have ever been righted by riots and civil disorders. A sniper is only a coward, not a hero; and an uncontrolled or uncontrollable mob is only the voice of…” quote by Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/912/robert-kennedy-2083_hero_what-has-violence-ever-accomplished-what_1506961.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/912/robert-kennedy-2083_hero_what-has-violence-ever-accomplished-what_1506961.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/912/robert-kennedy-2083_hero_what-has-violence-ever-accomplished-what_1506961.jpg) > “What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? No martyr's cause has ever been stilled by an assassin's bullet. No wrongs have ever been righted by riots and civil disorders. A sniper is only a coward, not a hero; and an uncontrolled or uncontrollable mob is only the voice of madness, not the voice of the people.” [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Violence fails to achieve lasting change; true progress comes from peaceful, constructive actions. **In simple terms:** Violence does not solve problems. Key Takeaway Choose nonviolent solutions. Themes peace justice nonviolence Mood reflective serious Type political ethical When to use this quote - civil rights movements - community organizing - conflict resolution Key Concepts political activism ethical philosophy Questions to Reflect On - Can peaceful protest achieve the same impact? - What are the risks of nonviolent resistance? A Different Perspective Violence can sometimes spark immediate attention but rarely yields sustainable outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Martyr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martyr/) [Sniper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sniper/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? No martyr's cause has ever been stilled by an assassin's bullet...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/what-has-violence-ever-accomplished-what-has-it-ever-created-no-2/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [Why should women not be a martyr for her cause?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernestine-rose/why-should-women-not-be-a-martyr-for-her-cause/) [Ernestine Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernestine-rose/) > [I haven't seen American Sniper, but correct me if I'm wrong: An occupier mows down faceless Iraqis but the real victim is his anguished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-blumenthal/i-haven-t-seen-american-sniper-but-correct-me-if-i-m-wrong-an/) [Max Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-blumenthal/) > [“The noise makes your heart jump, but hearing a sniper bullet is a good thing. The bullet outruns the sound wave; if it’s on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-jacka/the-noise-makes-your-heart-jump-but-hearing-a-sniper-bullet-is-a-good/) [Benedict Jacka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-jacka/) > [“We walked to a large dry-erase board that covered the entire far wall of the command center. Gina Pellegrin—a detective I’d recently recruited to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-bourg/we-walked-to-a-large-dry-erase-board-that-covered-the-entire-far-wall/) B.J. Bourg > [I did want to be the top sniper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/i-did-want-to-be-the-top-sniper/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [“We’ll fight them from the hills, we’ll fight them in the trees. We’ll hunker down in the river and take them out, sniper-style. Save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-chase/we-ll-fight-them-from-the-hills-we-ll-fight-them-in-the-trees-we-ll/) [Emma Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-chase/) > [“Mark felt eyes on him as tight as a sniper's aim.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-bunn/mark-felt-eyes-on-him-as-tight-as-a-sniper-s-aim/) [Davis Bunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davis-bunn/) > [Try letting a Kindle protect your heart from sniper fire!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-clowes/try-letting-a-kindle-protect-your-heart-from-sniper-fire/) [Daniel Clowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-clowes/) > [The D.C. sniper is the "Jackie Robinson" of crime! He broke into the crazy White leagues!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-the-entertainer/the-d-c-sniper-is-the-jackie-robinson-of-crime-he-broke-into-the/) [Cedric The Entertainer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-the-entertainer/) > [“Thomas Parker glanced at his watch. Five hours. He laid down his cleaning brush and picked up the scattered parts of his 7.62mm SV-98…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-england/thomas-parker-glanced-at-his-watch-five-hours-he-laid-down-his/) [Stephen England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-england/) > [I am a much better father and husband than I ever was a sniper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/i-am-a-much-better-father-and-husband-than-i-ever-was-a-sniper/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [“She leaned over the tabe. I focused on her tight ass. My siren ate me alive with every movement. As she took aim, she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/she-leaned-over-the-tabe-i-focused-on-her-tight-ass-my-siren-ate-me/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [Sniper is a movie whose politics are so ludicrous and idiotic that under normal circumstances it would be beneath criticism. The only thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/sniper-is-a-movie-whose-politics-are-so-ludicrous-and-idiotic-that/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [Death is a sniper. It strikes people you love, people you like, people you know - it's everywhere. You could be next. But then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/death-is-a-sniper-it-strikes-people-you-love-people-you-like-people/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) ## More by Robert Kennedy > [Wars of any magnitude release powerful social and economic forces which can change the whole face of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/wars-of-any-magnitude-release-powerful-social-and-economic-forces/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [If freedom makes social progress possible, so social progress strengthens and enlarges freedom. The two are inseparable partners in the great adventure of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/if-freedom-makes-social-progress-possible-so-social-progress/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [Goethe tells us in his greatest poem that Faust lost the liberty of his soul when he said to the passing moment, 'Stay, thou…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/goethe-tells-us-in-his-greatest-poem-that-faust-lost-the-liberty-of/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [The intolerant man will not rely on persuasion, or on the worth of the idea. He would deny to others the very freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-intolerant-man-will-not-rely-on-persuasion-or-on-the-worth-of-the/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/let-us-dedicate-ourselves-to-what-the-greeks-wrote-so-many-years-ago/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [President Kennedy's election was such an enlargement. It expanded religious freedom to include the highest office in the land. President Kennedy's administration was such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/president-kennedy-s-election-was-such-an-enlargement-it-expanded/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [Men and women with freed minds may often be mistaken, but they are seldom fooled. They may be influenced, but they cannot be intimidated.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/men-and-women-with-freed-minds-may-often-be-mistaken-but-they-are/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [Prejudice exists and probably will continue to 'but we have tried to make progress and we are making progress. We are not going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/prejudice-exists-and-probably-will-continue-to-but-we-have-tried-to/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/too-much-and-too-long-we-seem-to-have-surrendered-community/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [In the final analysis, poverty is a condition of helplessness - of inability to cope with the conditions of existence in our complex society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/in-the-final-analysis-poverty-is-a-condition-of-helplessness-of/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [We know that we cannot live together without rules which tell us what is right and what is wrong, what is permitted and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/we-know-that-we-cannot-live-together-without-rules-which-tell-us-what/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [Punishment is not prevention. History offers cold comfort to those who think grievance and despair can be subdued by force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/punishment-is-not-prevention-history-offers-cold-comfort-to-those-who/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [The travail of freedom and justice is not easy, but nothing serious and important in life is easy. The history of humanity has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-travail-of-freedom-and-justice-is-not-easy-but-nothing-serious/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [The Gross National Product measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-gross-national-product-measures-neither-our-wit-nor-our-courage/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [Our future may lie beyond our vision, but it is not completely beyond our control. It is the shaping impulse of America that neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/our-future-may-lie-beyond-our-vision-but-it-is-not-completely-beyond/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) [Explore all 186 Robert Kennedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) ## More Hero quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [I am convinced that we will never build a democratic state based on rule of law if we do not at the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/i-am-convinced-that-we-will-never-build-a-democratic-state-based-on/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. 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They come on the scene only in uncivilized conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/once-the-state-has-been-founded-there-can-no-longer-be-any-heroes/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [You know, I often thought that the gangster and the artist are the same in the eyes of the masses. They're admired and hero-worshipped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-kubrick/you-know-i-often-thought-that-the-gangster-and-the-artist-are-the/) [Stanley Kubrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-kubrick/) > [“A hero is not know by the number of battles he has won, but rather by the kind of battles he chooses to fight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tonny-k-brown/a-hero-is-not-know-by-the-number-of-battles-he-has-won-but-rather-by/) [Tonny K. 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