In the fiction of Orson Scott Card, the most heinous acts are justified as long as they’re committed with pure intentions. Sadly, I understand where he’s coming from.
“The ends justifies the means” is, in my observations, a part of every human being’s philosophical makeup. Take it as read that the 2020 elections were fair and above-board. That doesn’t change the fact that, for millions of Americans, the moral imperative of getting Donald Trump out of office was so great that widespread election fraud wouldn’t have seemed even mildly evil in comparison to a second Trump presidential term. Everyone’s integrity has a price, but some sell it pretty cheap.
Yeah, except after lots and lots of trying, none of that "widespread election fraud" was ever found. On the other hand, plenty of trump fans cheered the attack on the Capitol, in a classic example of the righteous ends (getting rid of the newly elected president and restoring Trump to power) justifying the despicable means (desecrating the Capitol and threatening the lives of members of congress). I'm sure those flag-waving patriots would love the story of Nephi and Laban, and at least one of them, the goofball in the Captain Moroni getup, surely thought he was emulating it directly.
It's always illuminating to hear what concerns are foremost in your mind. If your defense, however, is "Everybody does it," you might make a stronger case if you use a factual example and don't impute imagined motives to other groups. After all, if the Trump opposition is that morally bankrupt, how is it that his head is still attached to his shoulders?
“The ends justifies the means” is, in my observations, a part of every human being’s philosophical makeup. Take it as read that the 2020 elections were fair and above-board. That doesn’t change the fact that, for millions of Americans, the moral imperative of getting Donald Trump out of office was so great that widespread election fraud wouldn’t have seemed even mildly evil in comparison to a second Trump presidential term. Everyone’s integrity has a price, but some sell it pretty cheap.
Yeah, except after lots and lots of trying, none of that "widespread election fraud" was ever found. On the other hand, plenty of trump fans cheered the attack on the Capitol, in a classic example of the righteous ends (getting rid of the newly elected president and restoring Trump to power) justifying the despicable means (desecrating the Capitol and threatening the lives of members of congress). I'm sure those flag-waving patriots would love the story of Nephi and Laban, and at least one of them, the goofball in the Captain Moroni getup, surely thought he was emulating it directly.
It's always illuminating to hear what concerns are foremost in your mind. If your defense, however, is "Everybody does it," you might make a stronger case if you use a factual example and don't impute imagined motives to other groups. After all, if the Trump opposition is that morally bankrupt, how is it that his head is still attached to his shoulders?