To be civilized is to restrain the ability to commit mayhem.
To be incapable of committing mayhem is not the mark of the civilized,
merely the domesticated. – Trefor Thomas

From my new found friend Kevin over at The Smallest Minority

This is something that I think is wrong with our society as a whole. Pacifism is a self-defeating premise. There will always be someone willing to take advantage of the weak. I'm not saying violence solves all problems and I'm definitely of the mindset that it should always be put off as long as possible, but to remove violence from your repertoire is to automatically concede to those who won't. The lack of ability to use violence isn't the mark of civilization, it's the morality to only use it when needed that truly represents being civilized.

But Mr. Thomas says it much better than I.