[redacted] Week Three: Morally Justifiable
This is a clever question, and an important one. Alex (@voluntaryist on X) has a unique ability to cut to the heart of an issue and lay bare the cognitive dissonance that comes along with using the force of law to harm others.
I had the chance to read an essay by Jim Babka as part of the Human Respect Fellowship (now [redacted]) onboarding process, and he provides a brief look at how mugging (as Alex puts it) happens on a national scale.
In other words, the harm is not lesser if it is delegated or written into law – that’s just a way to avoid responsibility and turn a blind eye to the suffering of others. What a missed opportunity to make the world a better place!
Refusing to initiate violence and theft isn’t a silver bullet to a better life. There are some people who encourage others to flee, especially if the alternative is disrupting their life in some way. Inertia, like gravity and time, plays a funny role in preserving the status quo, even as change marches ever onward. Peacefully encouraging individuals to challenge their assumptions is one goal of my work, with mixed results.
These aren’t easy conversations, however, I have found that they become more productive if they are calm, kind, consistent, and curious. Writing an op ed, designed to convince a reader of a particular view, is sometimes like yelling into the void. More compassionate, in my opinion, is helping people understand the basic truth that disregarding the rights of others makes their own situation more precarious. It has to be distinctly human, or it falls flat.
In no circumstance is it appropriate to initiate force against a person so they accept my ideas. I can simply suggest that you and others join me in refusing to participate in acts that initiate violence, or diminish others wealth by theft – and highlight other voices, like Alex and Jim, who we can all learn from along the way.
Follow Alex on Twitter, here.
Read Jim’s full essay, here.
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