All kinds of civilizations condone killing- murder is simply defining the killings society doesn't like as "wrong". We are condoning killing right now in Iraq- is it murder? Well, if you don't think the way Americans do, it probably is. If you think the way we do, than it isn't. One person's murder, is another person's "they got what they deserve"- have you ever seen someone say that about a death penalty case? Of course you have. Did you have a different reaction to it, than you did to Grainne's comments? You probably did.
There is no huge gap in my thinking, there is a failure on your part to understand my thinking. imo, of course
You can say something is wrong, without going after the person who says it. Why is this important? Because often when one goes after someone, one engages in behavior that looks even worse than what was said, and rather than discussing an idea, it becomes a witchhunt against a person, full of nasty personal insults, which relate to the person in toto, and have nothing to do with the idea that started the whole thing. I see this happen often when groups of people egg each other on, over some supposed "unjustifiable" idea. People often will do, and say, things with the support of a group, what they would never do or say alone.
While I don't find the idea in Grainne's post justifiable (to me, because I obviously don't come from the same place on that), I don't find the behavior on this thread justifiable either (to me, because I really don't come from the same place on that). Understanding what Grainne said, and why she said it, is as important to me as understanding what you are saying- and both of your ideas are equally alien to me. Do I find you both so barbaric I need to go after you personally, or insult you? No. You are both very interesting. |
