cnn – Pilant's Business Ethics Blog

Sympathy for Rapists?

Why are we supposed to have sympathy for rapists? – Salon.com

An evolved society is one that extends understanding and forgiveness for its offenders. But not because it’s such a goshdarn shame some kids can’t play football now. We have to look at what happened in Steubenville, what happened in Cleveland, Texas, what happens on college campuses and in marital beds and military bases every single day and recognize that rape is not a crime that is just perpetuated by what Sean Hannity recently flippantly called “evil” men. We have to see that one of the tragedies here is how badly we are failing our men and boys, every time we pretend that rape is something that happens entirely because of a how girl dresses or how much she drinks. We have to believe when Ma’lik Richmond’s father says, ”I’m sorry for what you all had to go through, and I hope somewhere in your hearts that you can forgive Trent and Ma’lik for the pain that they caused your daughter and put you through. I’m gonna bear his pain with him. I’m sure Trent and Ma’Lik will learn a valuable lesson from this and become productive citizens in this world one day.” We have to hope that those boys can indeed learn what it means to be a man from all of this. We have to teach then. So that one day, they can teach their own sons.

Why are we supposed to have sympathy for rapists? – Salon.com

I share the concern with ethics in the field of economics and politics. It seems that economics has become, in many or most cases, little more than selling your views for the most benefits in terms of money and influence. The truth does not pay well and after a while and a little self indoctrination, it will all look all right and the conscience will clear.

I would have expected more from the academic field of economics but the politician as an animal generally is a feral creature not subject to domestication. I am not sure ethics reaches the government save as a source of amusement.

Really good post. I recommend it.

James Pilant

My thanks to Nechakogal’s Blog.

I have done several posts about economists and the stunning lack of ethics for this profession, but I completely overlooked the profession of the politician despite awareness that the state of ethics among our politicians and in the structures housing our democracies. I was also persuaded that simply changing the party in power and the nature of how our votes are represented would result in the solution, but I am now convinced that no system wil … Read More