[Peace-discuss] Excellent comment on N-G story

[David Green]

I support restorative circles in principle, but I don't blame the students for not showing up to this one – the smart money says that a condition of the driver's involvement was the barring of any conversation about a possible charge of reckless endangerment. Why would students – or anybody, for that matter – want to be involved in a discussion where their perspective about true blame and true accountability wouldn't be permitted air time?Reitz and the N-G conveniently omit this part of the story, of course, because to include it would be to present the issue in a political light, worthy of debate and discussion, instead of the package the story was placed in from the start: just another act of vandalism for which someone should pay. And, oh yes, irresponsible education staff – let's not forget to press that button, too.Committing an act of civil disobedience means you are willing to accept the consequences for your actions, on general principle, because you believe a greater moral argument is at work. The students clearly had a greater moral argument in mind when they chose to block the street. It was an act of civil disobedience, and if someone had charged them with a public nuisance violation, they should have accepted it.However, no one is arguing that the driver – who with forethought and malice, drove her vehicle into a crowd of stationary pedestrians – was engaged in an act of civil disobedience. Her act was not civil; it was only disobedient. She placed people at great risk of bodily injury.I would be interested to know what moral reasoning makes a cracked window worthy of heated public scorn, while someone deliberately endangering the lives of children does not even get a mention – not by Reitz, the N-G, or the online commenters. And, in case we lose sight of this fact, the window was only cracked when the driver chose to do something gravely illegal.Civil disobedience is an essential part of the history of justice in the U.S. and around the world. That we are willing to toss that principle into the ditch and talk about a piece of busted glass instead portends deep moral confusion. Feels like the conversation about this has barely begun. http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2015-04-01/students-intentions-were-good-driver-difficult-situation.html
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