|
|
|
An example of a moral equivalence argument was Timothy McVeigh equating the government killing people with his right to kill people. (McVeigh was executed in 2001 for the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City.)
Fortunately not everyone who argues moral equivalence uses it as an excuse for violence. Some others resort to the argument believing they are speaking up for peace -- which works for them if they are opposed to people joining a violent conflict no matter what. It is sometimes easier to label both sides as equal in moral reprehensibility than it is to gather and weigh information about the origins of a conflict. It might happen that both sides of a conflict are nearly equal in responsibility. Some have labeled the Israeli-Palestinian convict as such. But judgment sometimes requires more than just a superficial acquaintance with events. And regarding Timothy McVeigh, good judgment required at least a superficial understanding of the history of the relationship between people and their government.
Copyright © 2000-2005 Frank E. Smitha. All rights reserved.
address of this article: http://www.fsmitha.com/com/equiv.htm