A side note on the question of legality, good, evil and justice.

LEGALITY ISN'T MORALITY!

The Law Offices of Gregory Krasovsky

https://www.facebook.com/krasovsky911/posts/2415993031971887

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A side note on the question of legality, good, evil and justice.

Just a friendly reminder to all

- fellow lawyers,

- prosecutors,

- judges,

- law enforcement,

- corrections, probation & parole officers,

- active duty personnel & veterans of Armed Forces,

- members of the Intelligence Community,

- journalists,

- politicians,

- voters,

- tax payers and

- clients,

LEGALITY ISN'T MORALITY!

Just because something

- is legal, doesn't mean that it's not evil or wrong (a sin)

and

- is illegal, doesn't mean that it's not morally good or the right thing to do.

Yet, as lawyers we advise our clients always to error on the side of the law, no matter how morally repugnant it may be, as

- breaking the law, even to do the right thing, could land you in prison and cause you severe financial distress,

- while committing a legal sin (a moral trespass, if you will) will only lead to what most people consider only imaginary punishment or theoretical consequences (karma, divine wrath & etc.), especially if only after death.

So let's think about the millions of people who in the past

- legally committed murder, manslaughter, rape, torture, organ harvesting, sterilization, medical experiments, euthanasia, eugenics, genocide, war crimes & other crimes against humanity,

- wrongfully (by our current definitions), albeit legally, imprisoned, tortured during interrogation, executed, exiled, exploited or impoverished other people,

- lived as respected men in their countries, communities and families, and

- died without any visible or noticeable punishment for their sins, often were buried with honors, even had monuments erected to them and lauded in history books as leading men & heroes.

while their innocent victims were ignored or worse, condemned and considered having received what they deserved.

BTW, this lesson isn't limited to just Nazi Germany or any of the other really famous tyrannical/authoritarian regimes and their brutal campaigns against certain groups.

Let's just look at the some of the persecution and violence since the end of World War II (as reported and perceived by victims):

- recent religious cleansing in

-- the Middle East by radical islamists or Shia vs. Sunni violence

-- in India & Myanmar (Burma) against Muslims,

- ethnic cleansing campaigns against various minorities around and after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991

-- Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia and Moldova in the Former Soviet Union,

-- Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia (incl. Kosovo) in Former Yugoslavia

- Ethnic, religious and political conflicts in Africa

-- Hutu vs. Tutsi in Ruanda

-- Sudan (incl. now South Sudan) and Darfur

-- Nigeria (Muslim vs. Christian)

-- Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and other countries affected by the Arab Spring

-- Persecution of Coptic Christians and Fundamentalist Muslims in Egypt

- Ethnic, religious and political conflicts in The Middle East and Asia

-- persecution of Kurds in Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran

-- persecution of Palestinians by Israel (incl. on disputed occupied territories)

-- persecution of Shia Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan and other predominantly Sunni Muslim countries

-- Persecution of the Uighurs, Tibetians and Falun Gong in China,

-- Persecution ("pacification" or genocide) in East Timor by the Indonesian government,

-- Persecution of Muslims in the Philippines,

- Discrimination, persecution, displacement and exploitation of indigenous people in North & South America (even in this century)

-- Canada & the U.S.A. against Native Americans

-- Mexico

-- Brazil, Colombia & Peru

- campaigns against political opposition (including arrest, torture, imprisonment, execution & removal of children) in

-- Dirty War in Argentina and Chile

-- The Soviet Union (esp. under Stalin and Lenin) and it's satellite states (Warsaw Pact countries), including the persecution of religious people, organizations and clergy,

-- Franco's Spain,

-- campaigns against socialists and communists in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua (by the Contras & their sponsors against the Sandinistas), El Salvador, Colombia (FARC) and Peru (Shining Path)

- persecution, exploitation and campaigns against refugees and illegal aliens

-- North, Central and South America,

-- Europe,

-- The Middle East & Asia

-- Africa,

-- Australia,

and think about the millions of innocent women, children and even the elderly who were discriminated against and persecuted (incl. being killed or murdered) by millions of men who followed legal orders and acted under the colors of authority and law.

Men, perpetrators of injustice and evil, who despite the International Criminal Court and the Hague Tribunals, are or have lived out their years in peace, prosperity, respect of their communities and protection of their governments, while some of their victims' bodies remain in unknown, unmarked or mass graves -- if not burned, destroyed by acid, dumped in rivers,lakes, seas or oceans.

Now, with all that in mind, who would you rather be,

- a vicious, cunning, surreptitious or a merely ignorant criminal (who may have been considered a hero and a leading man or who just "followed orders) who caused innocent people pain, suffering, loss misery and even death

- a innocent victim who may have been demonized, disparaged, denigrated, unrecognized, lost and forgotten in the sand of human history?

Well, folks, for me the choice seems easy

- all you have to do is understand evil: it's when you commit an act that brings you pleasure or benefit (material, financial, power, popularity) while disregarding the fact (or even a recognized likelihood) that this act will bring pain, suffering, loss, health damage or even death to another living being,

and once you've recognized the above,

- don't be evil, even if it gets you approval, popularity, wealth, power and a dubious place in history books (BTW, books written by the victors who may have been just as guilty or evil as the perpetrators that they applauded),

- know & remember that an innocent victim dies an honorable death without compromising his morals either in this life or beyond and does not corrupt his soul (if you believe in one).

What will you do?

Would/will you support, follow and/or execute immoral (evil) orders, laws & government-sanctioned policies?

Would you try to blow the whistle and expose such immoral conduct?

Would you seek advice or protection from a lawyer -- without fear of being "turned in" or making things worse by being made an example?

What if you're on the receiving end of such lawful conduct - would you accept or risk breaking the law and resist?

What do you think?

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Memes courtesy of (without any endorsement, value judgment or comment)

The Mind Unleashed ( see https://www.facebook.com/TheMindUnleashed/photos/a.434569209933563/2525147774209019/ )

Apocalypse Designs Christian Clothing ( see https://shop.spreadshirt.ca/apocalypsedesigns/legalized+evil-A11226482 )

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