What will it take to fall to the dark side? I hear a lot of people say Anakin was weak and pathetic because he fell. What makes you think we are any better?

Just think about the way people are blown up by terrorists, I know it makes at least 90% of you people terribly angry. Imagine, tomorrow someone blows up your mom, maiming her really bad. After a coupe of minutes she dies in your hands telling you how much she loves you. You know that the terrorists will be back and try to kill more people and quite possibly more of your loved ones. Luckily, I have never experienced this (yet), but I feel the anger burning within me when I hear stories of the people left behind after, for example, the attacks in New York. I cannot even begin to imagine the rage and sorrow I would feel if it happened to me.

Now imagine someone you trust coming up to you and offering you the power to end this injustice once and for all. Wouldn't you be tempted? I know I would. I'm not sure I could resist that offer. Would I kill kids, women and defenseless enemies to end a wave of attacks that would kill many more? I might. My feeling right now tells me I should never do such a thing, killing is evil no matter why you do it. But, I sincerely believe every person has the potential to kill and be evil, it's just a matter of circumstances. I'd like to believe that I would never kill anybody in cold blood, but the truth is I do feel a dark side in me that does surge when I see injustice. If a trusted friend and mentor of mine would tell me to use it and be able to explain why I should not fear it, I might do things I know are inherently evil. All this just to get to a grander goal. I would however put myself in danger of going down "the path to the Dark Side". If you get used to violence and cruelty chances are that you start seeing them as acceptable means to an end. In stead of resolving the problem I (and you) would likely continue down the spiral untill I become the thing I set out to destroy.

My point is: The Dark Side is a very real threat to anyone. Violence and cruelty are all to familiar to mankind. And the people who commit these acts started out just as you and me, an innocent child clinging to mother and father for protection. The only way to prevent this from happening is to accept that we are all in danger of falling to the Dark Side. Only when we truly understand and accept our weakness, will we be able to protect ourselves from it.

May the force be with you!