On the Cause of Terrorism and Other Crimes
In comments to my second-to-last public entry (and in other articles I have read), some suggest that the potential actions of the Florida "pastor" were different from the potential actions of the pseudo-mosque-builders due to potential risk. Some have suggested that the "pastor" should be forced to stop because his act would be more risky; it would trigger acts of terrorism and hate against our troops and/or citizens on American soil.
This inspired me to write this entry, because I think I observe a subtle flaw in common thinking about cause and effect and people's actions.
As I see it, excepting acts of coercian, (which is an entirely complicated topic I shan't get into here,) people do not cause other people to do things; people are responsible for their own actions. Our society often forgets that, and individuals are always looking for ways to shift the blame from themselves for wrong things they do.
That's understandable; no one wants to feel guilty. But it is not just shifting the blame from themselves that people do; people often shift the blame off of other people onto victims, and I cannot understand why this occurs.
An analogy/example: If I keep the door to my house unlocked and am robbed, and I go to court to testify, is the robber going to get a lesser sentence because my door was unlocked? I should hope not. He has still stolen my property from my property. Yet, there is a tendency these days to make such comments as, "You were asking to be robbed because your door was unlocked;" "It's your own fault you were robbed, because your door was unlocked." No, it's not my fault. Someone else comminted a crime against me. My being an easier target changes nothing except the ease with which I was robbed.
Another: I have actually heard people say (and it disgusts me) that such and such a girl was asking to be raped because of how she dressed or where she was hanging out. This warped sort of cause-and-effect thinking only serves to justify such terrible crimes as rape! What is wrong with you people? Even if a girl were walking around naked, it would not justify anyone raping her. No, criminals are responsible for their own wicked actions - end of story.
And we are doing the same with terrorists. Not stopping a man from burning a book will not cause anyone to go on Christian- or American-killing rampages. Terrorists will already gladly use this to justify their own actions; we don't need to do the same. These people are already filled with hate toward Christians, Jews, and Westerners.
As I said in my other entry, all of this applies only for cases where no harm is actually being done to another. If the "pastor" had actually beat up a Muslim, one could argue an eye-for-an-eye response. If this "pastor" had bombed (as an act of terrorism) the Dome of the Rock (a single unrelplaceable thing), that would warrant retaliation. This is different than both. Seriously, if one burns a few Qurans, who is being harmed? Allah? I should think Allah could fend for himself. Simply burning flags in response to a Quran burning would make sense; chanting "Death to all Christians!" - not so much. Killing American citizens unrelated to the "pastor" in Florida - I don't see how one could justify that response by any logical world view; it is a wicked act of terrorism and hate.
Yes, I think it is offensive and stupid to burn the Quran; I am glad that the "pastor" did not. Yes, it would have infuriated Muslims, but it is not such a person's fault if terrorist attacks occur. Even less so is it the rest of our country's fault if we don't force such a foolish man to stop and terrorist attacks occur.
Acts of terror, theft, murder, rape, and crime are the fault of the terrorists, thieves, murderers, rapists, and criminals, and it would be best, I think, if we keep that clear.
This inspired me to write this entry, because I think I observe a subtle flaw in common thinking about cause and effect and people's actions.
As I see it, excepting acts of coercian, (which is an entirely complicated topic I shan't get into here,) people do not cause other people to do things; people are responsible for their own actions. Our society often forgets that, and individuals are always looking for ways to shift the blame from themselves for wrong things they do.
That's understandable; no one wants to feel guilty. But it is not just shifting the blame from themselves that people do; people often shift the blame off of other people onto victims, and I cannot understand why this occurs.
An analogy/example: If I keep the door to my house unlocked and am robbed, and I go to court to testify, is the robber going to get a lesser sentence because my door was unlocked? I should hope not. He has still stolen my property from my property. Yet, there is a tendency these days to make such comments as, "You were asking to be robbed because your door was unlocked;" "It's your own fault you were robbed, because your door was unlocked." No, it's not my fault. Someone else comminted a crime against me. My being an easier target changes nothing except the ease with which I was robbed.
Another: I have actually heard people say (and it disgusts me) that such and such a girl was asking to be raped because of how she dressed or where she was hanging out. This warped sort of cause-and-effect thinking only serves to justify such terrible crimes as rape! What is wrong with you people? Even if a girl were walking around naked, it would not justify anyone raping her. No, criminals are responsible for their own wicked actions - end of story.
And we are doing the same with terrorists. Not stopping a man from burning a book will not cause anyone to go on Christian- or American-killing rampages. Terrorists will already gladly use this to justify their own actions; we don't need to do the same. These people are already filled with hate toward Christians, Jews, and Westerners.
As I said in my other entry, all of this applies only for cases where no harm is actually being done to another. If the "pastor" had actually beat up a Muslim, one could argue an eye-for-an-eye response. If this "pastor" had bombed (as an act of terrorism) the Dome of the Rock (a single unrelplaceable thing), that would warrant retaliation. This is different than both. Seriously, if one burns a few Qurans, who is being harmed? Allah? I should think Allah could fend for himself. Simply burning flags in response to a Quran burning would make sense; chanting "Death to all Christians!" - not so much. Killing American citizens unrelated to the "pastor" in Florida - I don't see how one could justify that response by any logical world view; it is a wicked act of terrorism and hate.
Yes, I think it is offensive and stupid to burn the Quran; I am glad that the "pastor" did not. Yes, it would have infuriated Muslims, but it is not such a person's fault if terrorist attacks occur. Even less so is it the rest of our country's fault if we don't force such a foolish man to stop and terrorist attacks occur.
Acts of terror, theft, murder, rape, and crime are the fault of the terrorists, thieves, murderers, rapists, and criminals, and it would be best, I think, if we keep that clear.