two wrongs don't make a right...

This rant was inspired by a story about some animal rights activists digging up the remains of a relative of a family whose business is breeding guinea pigs for research institutions, and using the said remains to hold the family to ransom until they obeyed the activists' demands.

This made me think about ethics and integrity vis-à-vis activism and resistance.

As a wannabe activist and member of (in my own lunchtime) The Resistance, I've long had a problem with this issue. (That's why I'm a lunchtime wannabe, I guess..)

This whole idea that your cause, religion or ideology gives you special dispensation to counter war with war, terrorism with terrorism, violence with violence, one wrong with another wrong, et cetera, et cetera, beggars belief. It boggles my brain.

Here's my thesis: If your activism or resistance is ethically or morally bankrupt, you are engaging in a contra-effective methodology to achieve your aims and in fact you have therefore no longer got any moral or ethical position on which to stand.

Oh, it's easy to go "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". It's also combative, escalatory, and it robs you of any integrity you might have started out with.

Furthermore, I think it robs you of the support of reasonable people and only attracts to your cause those with a bent for revenge, retribution, and war.

This cannot lead to a peacful outcome. It is warmongering behaviour, and if that's what you're on about, count me out.
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