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Periodic reminder: legal ≠ moral.
You can follow the law to the letter and be a complete asshole, or break the law for good reasons. It is especially true when laws are written and voted by assholes, which is most of the time.
Brian Ó 🐟
Brian Ó 🐟 2 months ago
One thing that's always bothered me about the DSM is that the diagnostic criteria for a lot of personality disorders includes the individual having a pattern of run-ins with the law. Given how fungible the law is from place to place, whether or not you're a psychopath could come down to what jurisdiction you live in, and/or how just the laws are.
Hyp☀️li🌷e Pet🌸van (he/him)
Hyp☀️li🌷e Pet🌸van (he/him) 2 months ago
Well, the DSM was written by most likely rich white people who followed all the rules and laws to get where they were (or were shielded from law enforcement by privilege), so of course it would be the "normal" way.
🛫 Brad Koehn 🛬
🛫 Brad Koehn 🛬 2 months ago
Also, legal ≠ safe.
Hyp☀️li🌷e Pet🌸van (he/him)
Hyp☀️li🌷e Pet🌸van (he/him) 2 months ago
@🛫 Brad Koehn 🛬 Indeed, but I've not seen this come up as often as "They are doing something illegal, therefore they are wrong" or "What I'm doing is legal, therefore you can't criticize me for doing it.".
Andy H3
Andy H3 2 months ago
The law is often an ass...

I just had a discussion like this the other day. My interlocutors had serious difficulties to untangle moral from legal questions. When I had asked whether they thought something is moral or not, most responded that 'Oh.. no you can't do that; it's illegal.'

I felt that was disturbing. Not so much that they couldn't see the ethical dilemma and merely pointed to the legal issue. Much more that their position of equating moral with legal not only implies an uncritical view of the law, but also that it obliterates the very possibility of civil disobedience.
This entry was edited (2 months ago)
KrisK
KrisK 2 months ago
It's interesting when something illegal becomes legal, and some of those who remember its illegality have great trouble accepting its morality (e.g. being gay).
Samuel Smith ✅
Samuel Smith ✅ 2 months ago
@hypolite legal, moral, and ethical are each a different concept. People forget this, so reminders are helpful.
Hyp☀️li🌷e Pet🌸van (he/him)
Hyp☀️li🌷e Pet🌸van (he/him) 2 months ago
It is painfully necessary these days, for example in France where environment activists have been occupying land (the “ZAD”) that was slated to become a redundant airport, endangering a whole ecosystem. They built homes, farms, workshops while the negociations were underway. Recently, the airport project has been scrapped and the activists have been told by the French government to present agricultural projects or to vacate the land. After deeming no project receivable, the government is currently deploying about 10 riot police officers for each activist, using armored trucks, hundreds of tear gas grenades and flashbang to force them out, destroying each house and farm they get close enough to.
Samuel Smith ✅
Samuel Smith ✅ 2 months ago
@hypolite things like this we never hear about in America. I fear for how insular we are becoming.
Hyp☀️li🌷e Pet🌸van (he/him)
Hyp☀️li🌷e Pet🌸van (he/him) 2 months ago
This event is kind of local to France but it crystallizes a number of criticisms of the current French government. I can't blame you for not knowing about it, people in France may not be aware about the Flint water crisis either, for example.
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