Did you (or do you) think Kira is a violent person?

[Ro_Laren]

Did you ever think that Kira was a “violent” person? I was watching the first season episode Battle Lines and in this episode a runabout carrying Sisko, Kira, Bashir, and Kai Opaka crashes on a moon in the Gamma Quadrant where there is a penal colony. In this penal colony there are two groups of people that have been fighting each other for generations. As punishment, their planet sent these two groups of people to a penal colony and infected them with some sort of techno microbes which prevent them from permanently dying. As a result, they keep on killing each other, dying, coming back to life, fighting each other, dying, coming back to life, etc. Kira gets visibly mad that the group that is giving them refuge doesn’t do a better job defending themselves and she is rebuked by Sisko.

At one point she was left alone with Kai Opaka and they had the following conversation…

Opaka: You can’t bury it Kira.

Kira: What?

Opaka: Do you recognize yourself in these people?

Kira: Me. Oh no, not at all. They are content to die. I’ve always fought to stay alive. Oh, I don’t want you to have the wrong impression of me Opaka.

Opaka: Just what impression do you think I have?

Kira: That, I… that, that I enjoy any of this. I, I don’t enjoy fighting. I, yes, I’ve fought my entire life, but for a good cause… for our freedom, our independence. And it was brutal and it was ugly. But, that is over for me now. That’s not who I am. I don’t want you to think that I am this violent person, without a soul, without a conscious. That is not who I am.

Opaka: Don’t you deny it, the violence inside of you Kira. Only when you accept it can you move beyond it.

Kira: I have known nothing but violence since I was a child.

Opaka: In the eyes of the prophets we are all children. Bajor has much to learn from peace.

Kira: I am afraid the prophets won’t forgive me.

Opaka: They are just waiting for you to forgive yourself.

At the end of the episode, Opaka decides that she wants to stay on the planet and help mediate between the two sides. Opaka said the following to Kira towards the end of the episode:

Opaka to Kira: I was brought here because it is time for these people to begin their healing process… just as you were brought here to begin yours.

As I watched these scenes, I couldn’t help but think that I’ve never seen Kira as a violent person. Yes, I knew she went to extreme measures to try to oust the Cardassians from Bajor, but I never thought it was because she was violent. I think there is a difference between having a personality that is drawn to violence and using violence to defend yourself and/or try to get rid of oppressors. I always thought that Kira had a bit of a temper (especially at the beginning of DS9), but I never saw her as a violent person. But, you could tell from her conversation with Opaka that she felt guilty for some of the things she had done. Though I didn't note it in the dialogue above, she ends up crying, falling to her knees, and hugging the Kai. She definitely was struggling with her emotions. But, as I already noted, I never thought that she felt this way because she truly is a violent person.

FYI, I know that Opaka couldn't leave the planet because when the runabout crashed on the planet, Opaka died and then came back to life (thus getting infected by the techno microbes). No one infected with these microbes is able to leave the planet, but Opaka decided that she wanted to stay on the planet before she learned that she wouldn't be able to leave... of course, that this info isn't relevent to the point of this post.

 

[sonak]

I don't see her as one either. She fought because she was in situations where she had to. She didn't go around picking fights, or talking about the "glory" of battle like Worf.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Where I would look for an answer to that question is "The Darkness and the Light." That is probably THE ugliest Kira moment in the entire show, when she cannot even find it in herself to feel sorry even a little bit about a civilian casualty. She shows there she still has the mind of a terrorist and cannot distinguish between the truly guilty and those who have been victimized by someone else.

(And let's add the fact that she put the O'Briens' baby at risk when she pulled that stunt of hers!)

So while I'm not sure I can say she's a violent person by nature, I also don't feel like I can say for sure that she's not.

 

[Brolan]

I believe she is a violent person. When you watch her react in the show, her first instinct when dealing with difficult people is violence. She might hold herself back, but the violent instinct is still there. And when she finally lets go, and hits another, she is actually happy about it. Contrast this with Starfleet personnel who feel regret.

 

[DonIago]

I'm not sure I'd call her a violent person per se, but I wouldn't call it out of line to say she has some anger management issues either.

 

[Stoek]

Thinking it over I think that it's more that Kira is (especially in the early episodes) a very angry person and it is from that wellspring of anger that the flowers of violence are grown.

 

[Ro_Laren]

Where I would look for an answer to that question is "The Darkness and the Light." That is probably THE ugliest Kira moment in the entire show, when she cannot even find it in herself to feel sorry even a little bit about a civilian casualty. She shows there she still has the mind of a terrorist and cannot distinguish between the truly guilty and those who have been victimized by someone else.

(And let's add the fact that she put the O'Briens' baby at risk when she pulled that stunt of hers!)

So while I'm not sure I can say she's a violent person by nature, I also don't feel like I can say for sure that she's not.

Wow, I forgot about this episode...

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I think she was a very angry person, after all her homeworld was invaded and occupied by a superior, malevolent force, who raped the planet of its natural resources and brutalised its people.

She became 'violent' because of necessity, in order to fight for her worlds freedom. Unfortunately after all she did and saw it left its mark by the beginning of DS9. Its one of the things I like most about the character, how she evolves over the series, letting go of the violence and anger, but still able to whoop ass when the situation calls for it.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Where I would look for an answer to that question is "The Darkness and the Light." That is probably THE ugliest Kira moment in the entire show, when she cannot even find it in herself to feel sorry even a little bit about a civilian casualty. She shows there she still has the mind of a terrorist and cannot distinguish between the truly guilty and those who have been victimized by someone else.

I always thought that episode was a great insight into her mentality. After being born and brought up in the Occupation, of course her view on Cardassians is going to be a little warped, but what she says about them having no right to be there is true. Every Cardassian on Bajor was part of the invasion and occupation, none had been invited or welcomed.

For the atrocities the Cardassians inflicted on the Bajorans, they never apologised (as far as I'm aware Bareil was working on that prior to "Life Support", but it was never established if they did or not), so why should Kira for fighting back?

I'm not saying I agree with her on this point, but I can understand why she doesn't have sympathy for Prin.

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

Kira has an extremely high capacity for violence and she knows how to hold a permanent grudge. However she has a greater capacity for compassion.

When I think of Kira it's always her softer moments. Her friendship with Ziyal. Sparing Dukat and her mother. Her great love for Bareil. Her true friendship with Odo. Her spirituality and pure, unyielding faith.

These are the things I remember about Kira Nerys before it even occurs to me that she's taken down Klingons, Cardassians and Jem Hadar with her bare fists.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

For the atrocities the Cardassians inflicted on the Bajorans, they never apologised (as far as I'm aware Bareil was working on that prior to "Life Support", but it was never established if they did or not), so why should Kira for fighting back?

I'm not saying I agree with her on this point, but I can understand why she doesn't have sympathy for Prin.

Their government likely never apologized, true. But we've seen that civilians (and even a few military ones) felt very differently. Some were victimized by that same government. After Kira's encounters with Marritza and Tekeny Ghemor, she should've been aware of that. Marritza even tried to give his very life as an apology.

 

[Sjaddix]

Yeah I am still amazed that Bajor has not demanded War Crimes Tribunals and Apologies from the Cardassians. Much less Reparations. I mean seriously Bajor is a member of the Federation and Cardassians are basically a Federation Protectorate.

 

[DonIago]

My understanding of the current state of Cardassia is that the last thing they need is a further beating upon...unless you're maybe trying to get them to think about joining the Typhon Expanse.

 

[Sjaddix]

I suppose they could join Typhon but the Cardassians are too weak to matter at this point.

 

[sonak]

Yeah I am still amazed that Bajor has not demanded War Crimes Tribunals and Apologies from the Cardassians. Much less Reparations. I mean seriously Bajor is a member of the Federation and Cardassians are basically a Federation Protectorate.

if you mean during the early DS9 period, what would have been the point? Cardassia was the stronger power. and no one else would have joined the Bajorans in their claims. The Cardassians would have laughed off a demand for reparations.

 

[Sjaddix]

No I mean after they lost the Dominion War and had to get aid from the federation. Obviously before they would not get anything. But now that Cardassia is dependent on aid from the Federation. The Bajorans should definetly be getting an apology from the Cardassian Government, War Crimes Tribunal for both their crimes during the Bajoran Occupation and the Dominion War and maybe even reparations.

Instead the Bajorans have gotten little to nothing despite being a Federation Member. Honestly, the Cardassians have not got punished at all except for self inflicted wounds.

 

[Sindatur]

No I mean after they lost the Dominion War and had to get aid from the federation. Obviously before they would not get anything. But now that Cardassia is dependent on aid from the Federation. The Bajorans should definetly be getting an apology from the Cardassian Government, War Crimes Tribunal for both their crimes during the Bajoran Occupation and the Dominion War and maybe even reparations.

Instead the Bajorans have gotten little to nothing despite being a Federation Member. Honestly, the Cardassians have not got punished at all except for self inflicted wounds.

If Cardassia is so beaten down, they are existing on Federation handouts, where would they possibly get resources/money for reparations from?

The Cardassian story is that Bajoran Government welcomed their annexation (If there's any truth to that, which there likely is, Bajor loses the case). Very likely the Cardassians set up a Government on Bajor favorable to their Occupation, if so, the Resistance really were the War Criminals

I would not say Cardassia wasn't punished, Karma did a very thorouogh job of punishing them, Billions dead, economy and planet(s) in turmoil. All the War Criminals we know are dead already. you can't get blood from a stone, I'd say Cardassia is so far beaten down, there isn't a layer of skin left to take as punishment

 

[Sjaddix]

Oh come one Puppet Governments hardly count as legit.

At the very least an official apology.

 

[Sindatur]

Oh come one Puppet Governments hardly count as legit.

At the very least an official apology.

I'm not saying Bajor didn't deserve an apology, reparations, etc. but, even if the existing Government at the time of their Occupation was a Puppet Government, it still counts legally if they gave consent, encouraged the Occupation, asked for Cardassia's help, etc.

 

[Sci]

Yeah I am still amazed that Bajor has not demanded War Crimes Tribunals and Apologies from the Cardassians. Much less Reparations. I mean seriously Bajor is a member of the Federation and Cardassians are basically a Federation Protectorate.

My understanding of the current state of Cardassia is that the last thing they need is a further beating upon...unless you're maybe trying to get them to think about joining the Typhon Expanse.

I suppose they could join Typhon but the Cardassians are too weak to matter at this point.

As of The Typhon Pact: The Struggle Within by Christopher L. Bennett, the Cardassian Union and the Ferengi Alliance have both joined the Khitomer Accords alliance alongside the Federation and Klingon Empire, allying against the Typhon Expanse.

The nature of Bajoran-Cardassian relations in the time leading up to Bajor's Membership in the Federation was detailed in the Mission: Gamma series: Twilight by David R. George III, This Grey Spirit by Heather Jarman, Cathedral by Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels, and Lesser Evil by Robert Simpson.