I just saw this story (hat tip). Mother’s Against Drunk Driving has managed to institute some sort of campaign in which trusted the police come and issue a false report on the death of a classmate. The ruse is admitted to an hour later.
I just don’t think there is any way to condone this. Lying is not always wrong, but I simply don’t see how it can be justified in this case. The self-righteous, Messianic rhetoric used to defend the strategy is even worse.
“For the greater good.” If this were not an Officially Sanctioned Cause according to the canon of “Really important ethical matters in the 21st century” it would be called child abuse. But since keeping kids from driving drunk is officially listed in modern America as one of those things which it’s permissible to prevent “by any means necessary,” it’s supposed to be okay.
Messianic, indeed.
To put it another way, imagine someone pulling this stunt by telling kids their classmate had died as a result of a botched abortion. And imagine anyone defending it then.
Good post.