[Peace-discuss] RE: The War on Dissent Gets Creepy

[C. G. Estabrook]

I don't think the moral requirement implied by the statement,
"Civil disobedience is about taking a moral stand AND paying
the consequences for your actions," really exists.  It sounds
like an anxious attempt to assert that the system that
contains an unjust law is itself just and must be supported.

On the contrary, unjust laws should be resisted -- prudently.
We once had a Fugitive Slave Law in this country.  Would it
have been appropriate -- even morally necessary -- to turn
oneself in and "pay the consequences for your actions" after
smuggling an escaped slave into Canada?  --CGE


---- Original message ----
>Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 10:11:46 -0600
>From: "Phil Stinard" <pstinard at hotmail.com>  
>Subject: [Peace-discuss] RE: The War on Dissent Gets Creepy  
>To: peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
>
>I think it's creepy that someone thinks they can deface
(spraypaint) public 
>property and not have to clean it up.  Vandalism isn't
appropriate behavior. 
>Civil disobedience is about taking a moral stand AND paying
the consequences 
>for your actions.  That's why it's disobedience--it's against
the law, and 
>there are consequences to be paid.  If one is not willing to
pay the 
>consequences, I would question their sincerity.  Mr. Ferner
defended himself 
>by writing:
>
>>The most important mistake I made on New Year's Day was not
that I painted
>>"Troops Out Now" on overpasses, it was choosing a form of civil 
>>disobedience
>>not many people are comfortable adopting.
>
>I would reply to Mr. Ferner by saying that his biggest
mistake is not 
>understanding the meaning of civil disobedience.  Instead of
focusing on 
>opposition to the war, his actions have focused attention on
the legality of 
>graffiti and his efforts to beat fines and jail time.  How
much nobler he 
>would have been had he said, "I know that spraying my message
on the 
>overpass is against the law, not because of my message, but
because of my 
>method.  But, I feel so strongly about the war that I felt I
had to do it.  
>I will pay the consequences for my actions."
>
>--Phil