The first one was about Voltairine de Cleyre and the secod one about Malatesta. De Cleyre was shot in the back 3 times while out walking, something that eventually killed her, as she died at 45 from a combination of the problems caused by that. When the shooter was present in court with her she pleaded with the judge to not put the man in prison because he was mentally unwell and in extreme poverty, so she had forgiven him for his actions.
Malatesta was holding a speech and a person that was a dissident, didnt agree with him got so riled up he shot him in the leg. Instead of immediately retaliating, Malatesta let him go. Because he understood the man was upset, unwell and in poverty, so he did not want to put him in prison. This is what anarchism is about. Both men were disarmed in both cases, so why hurt them? That would be purely for revenge and they didn't believe in revenge because an eye for an eye is antithetical to anarchist values, it's a story about anarchists being principled and having a spine. People who genuinely believed in the values of anarchism and we can learn a lot from them because I feel like everyone on the left, even anarchists, want revenge more than they want a better and functional society for all. Thats who we are, what we are and what all of us can be. Kind, compassionate, forgiving and above all understanding.
What would Makhno would have done in the same situation? He'd have him shot, then hanged and cut his legs off for good measure because he wasnt anarchist, he was an authoritarian ruler that wanted to scare people into obeying him. I dont care if he was under rough conditions, you do not just shoot anybody that "becomes" a problem based on "social degeneration", there is nothing anarchist about that.
