I agree with the poparena review of this book: The Chee's pacifism means as much as my decision not to use time travel for personal gain. It's not really admirable or praiseworthy to remain violent if you literally can't do violence. The one Chee who is most against the Chee group who wants to redo their programming so they can use violence to assist the fight against the Yeerks is really full of bull. She wants to impose her will on others so she can still say "Chee do not kill".
In a way, I sympathize with Erek more, but also sort of don't. At least Erek has the capacity to choose or renounce violence (and has an actual choice for himself to make), but four things bother me greatly about his decision. One, he doesn't give the Pemalite Crystal to the Chee, some of who might reluctantly take the mantle of violence in order to save a planet from slavery. Two, he and the rest of the Chee keep Yeerks inside of their head enslaved, a fate that's worse than normal Yeerk slavery- at least an enslaved human can communicate with their captor, even if the captor is a total dick (or needs to be to avoid questioning his/her slavery), the Yeerks in the Chee are in solitary confinement. I understand the necessity of it for cover, but to not acknowledge that, but act like violence is a level of depravity you won't stoop to is hypocritical and bogus. Three, if the Chee were capable of using violence, they would likely be able to neutralize the Yeerk invasion with minimal casualties. If they're capable of outright obliterating in combat, surely they could round up the Yeerks, put them on the Pool Ship, liberate the hosts, drive them to the Yeerk Home World (or hell, fly them to Z-Space after book 26 and have them meet the Iskroot), and end the Yeerk threat. But no, instead, Erek decides that not only him, but the entire population of Chee, will stand by and risk what's basically become their home planet. Ridiculous. Four, Erek cites his harrowing experience as the reason he deprogrammed his newfound ability to commit violence. By rejecting the ability to commit violence, he's effectively leaving the burden and consequences of the "dirty work" in fighting the invasion on a small group of much less capable, much younger, and much more vulnerable beings than himself. What's going to be a greater cause of psychological damage: Erek and the powerful, experienced, mature, and nigh-indestructable Chee using violence to stop the Yeerk invasion in what, two weeks? Even that? Or six children not only facing death, but making decisions that could allow their friends, family, and their entire planet to die, while in their formative years? How does the Chee have more of a right than Cassie to abstain from violence? Cassie is similar to the Chee in that killing goes against every moral code she has. Cassie goes to great, unorthodox, and stupid risks to prevent deaths. Yet, aside from 100 pages in book 19, she accepts that in order to protect the planet, she must kill. Why do the Chee so willingly let her do this? [spoiler]Jake cracks after making too many life-and-death decisions. He makes the call to sacrifice his cousin, who had fought with him for three years, and his cousin, his main motivation in the fight, in part because Erek sabotaged the Pool Ships weapons. Why? So Yeerks wouldn't die. He trades the life and mental health of two of his allies, risks the lives of the rest of them, as well as any Yeerks on the Pool Ship, just because there more casualties could occur if the Pool Ship could defend itself. And even THAT wouldn't be so bad, except that, once again, Erek is a total hypocrite. In The Attack, upon viewing the memories of the Howlers, he withholds information about them being, basically, children, only so that the Animorphs would not pause to kill them, given the chance.[/spoiler] As much criticism and flak that Cassie gets for being selfish, moralizing, and hypocritical (and in my opinion, rightly so), Erek is arguably 100x more selfish.