Is violence ever a good idea?

For me this is a hard question to answer. I would like to say no, but the truth is there are times that I think violence is necessary. After reading Ghandi, I felt that he made a very compelling argument about why non violence is the best form of fighting. I think that in many circumstances, using non violent means to fight for what you believe in would work. I think that Ghandi made it very clear that non violence is the best answer to any problem and I would have to say that I agree for the most part.