Reading an article about striking Woodrow Wilsons name from several buildings due to his friendly relationship with the KKK reminded me of a troubling concept... this idea that we forgive fairly significant personal flaws in historical figures due to the social norms of their time; That we can't judge someone who lived in the 19th century with 21st century values.
This is likely true to an extent but where's the line? Should Thomas Jefferson have known that slavery was wrong? Was Abraham Lincoln wrong in his racist views even as he fought to free the slaves? Is Rex Tillerson a monster or a savvy business executive?
The concept of climate change has been around since ~1900. The scientific consensus solidified ~40 years ago. The reality that this was OUR problem became obvious ~20 years ago and viable alternatives became readily available ~10 years ago. When did dependency on fossil fuels become morally reprehensible?
Morality isn't relative... slavery was just as wrong in 1790 as it was in 1990. As a society we need to send a clear message to our current leaders that if they fail us today... they will not be forgiven tomorrow.
This is likely true to an extent but where's the line? Should Thomas Jefferson have known that slavery was wrong? Was Abraham Lincoln wrong in his racist views even as he fought to free the slaves? Is Rex Tillerson a monster or a savvy business executive?
The concept of climate change has been around since ~1900. The scientific consensus solidified ~40 years ago. The reality that this was OUR problem became obvious ~20 years ago and viable alternatives became readily available ~10 years ago. When did dependency on fossil fuels become morally reprehensible?
Morality isn't relative... slavery was just as wrong in 1790 as it was in 1990. As a society we need to send a clear message to our current leaders that if they fail us today... they will not be forgiven tomorrow.
