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on the subject of hitler (2-13-0)
Hitler is most people's best example of evil incarnate, as if he went out and decided to annihilate an entire race one day on a whim, as if he committed those atrocities himself. As the leader of his nation, he holds a responsibility for all of it, sure. But, he was no more evil than any other world leader who has allowed his nation to go to war, no more evil than Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar or any other Emperor in ancient times, where it was normal for one nation to conquer another at any time, to expand the territory of that emperor. In modern times, we blind ourselves to the idea that world leaders still do this, as if it's some barbaric practice long forgotten. But, there are still wars. There are still invasions. There are still disputes over borders and territories. And, every day, there are still genocidal practices going on around the world.
Six million lives out of six billion is not such a large number. Find a better example.
Until then, I would still defend his life as I might defend yours. Or, more realistically, I wouldn't defend either of you, at least not at the cost of my own. I may value life, but I am still selfish.
Regardless of life having value, life does end. However advanced science is, that is still the case. People die.
Personally, I hold all lives valuable enough that I have no intention of taking one. But, there are certainly those who would take one for whatever reason. Specifically, there are those who would want to take the life of one who has hurt or taken the life of someone close to them. And, they can go ahead and do that. That life may have value, but there are always arguments for the ending of them. My initial contention was that abortion, however legal or acceptable, should not be done based on the idea that that life is not already a human being who has value, and that the death penalty, as a government operation is wrong. I value life and would not like to kill someone. But, if you want someone dead, if you've decided that regardless of the basic value I grant to each person, that a person has done something so horrendous that this world would be better off without that particular person, then go ahead and kill him. Just don't try to argue that it's justified because his life no longer has value. Accept you're taking a life--that's all I want.
And, on the subject of Hitler, or any "evil" person for that matter, the concept I would put forth is that evil is only a word we give to certain actions, not a concept that exist on its own from societal standards. You look at the situation in Germany at the time, you look at everything that came before all that genocide, and put yourself in his place, and it's not the great evil event that many would call it. The Holocaust was just the same thing that's been done time and time again, and that will be done again and again. Those lives have value, sure. Obviously, I don't like that they or anyone else had to or has to die. But, however any life ends, whether at the hands of someone else or from an accident or from natural causes, it WILL end. In theory, I value all lives, but only those who I know personally will ever truly have value to me personally. And, there are so many who have died in the past, by whatever means, that I do NOT have the time nor the energy to mourn them all. And, whether people try to argue it or not, learning all about the Holocaust, or any wholesale slaughter of any people will NOT keep that same thing from happening again. It WILL happen. People will kill each other. That's what we do.