Justified Crimes

I heard an oratory speech this past weekend. It was about how some crimes are justified. I was interested in the topic as soon as I heard the title. It is something we have all pondered. Movies like the Boondock Saints exhibits how perhaps, some crimes, are justified. I sat in my seat ready to listen.

In her reasoning she mentioned that it was just for this young lady to higher someone to kill her father because she had no other choice. The girl was abused by her father, sexually and physically. She started joining activities, and doing everything she could to stay away from home. Although she escape the father's brutality, he had moved on to the little sister. Unable to take this, she hired someone to end her misery by ending her father's life. The orator said that in this case, it was a justified crime, she had to do it. I sat there pondering in my chair, and couldn't bring myself to believe it. This girl had not tried the other options, the more civil options. She had not tried to put her dad in prison, she had not tried to get them out of the situation. She simply jumped to ending another human life. I don't know if I can consider that just under many circumstances. No matter how just it may seem at the time, she could have done more.

The one part of the speech that was interesting to contemplate, and a bit more grey for me then the above issue, was that of stealing. She mentioned how during Katrina people were stealing, and that under these circumstances it was ok. If they were stealing the necessities, what they needed to survive, then they were just.

What do you think about just crimes? Do they exist? Is stealing ok in some situations, is killing ok? Take a bite, and tell me.

I had a Reason to Cheat

The other day I was telling a friend about the one time I cheated on a test. I was in third grade, I had missed class because my grandmother had died. Upon coming back I had to take a test on the bones in our body. To say the least, I don't know my bones. I never have. She allowed me to take the test home for some reason I cannot explain except to assume that she assumed that I was a good kid who wouldn't cheat. I sat with the paper on my bay window staring out the window. I didn't know the information. Right next to me was the study guide, I pulled it out, and used it to help me complete the test. The next day I handed it in, and I felt guilty beyond belief. I had never cheated before, and I have never cheated like that since.

When I was telling my friend about this story, I was sure to say that I had just gotten back from my grandmother's funeral. As though an excuse justifies my behavior. In reality, that excuse is the only reason I had the opportunity to cheat in the first place. But, it made me feel better about cheating.

This is just a small example of how we often look for excuses to justify our unethical behavior. As though, we had no other option. There is always another option, and just because it may not seem to benefit you the most, doesn't mean that we should allow ourselves to make the unethical decision.

Although, the ethics of cheating depends on what ethical philosophy you follow. Under some philosophies, cheating was the right decision for me. But in general, we all viewing cheating to be unethical, and I felt unethical doing it.

So readers, Take a bite. Do you notice people and corporations making excuses to justify their actions? Have you yourself made excuses?