Robots or humans

Are we robots or thinking humans? If I told someone to kill his neighbor and he did it, am I really responsible for his actions?

The unique thing about human beings is that we have a brain which has been trained to know the difference between right and wrong. One cannot excuse one who takes wrong action simply because he was told to do it. Of course, we are prosecuting those who stormed the capitol but that is not the point, neither Trump nor officials who encouraged BLM rioting can be held responsible.

Blame lies strictly with the individual who has allowed emotions to take over his brain. Unfortunately, it has become the norm for us to blame someone else for our actions, a parent, a spouse, society, the government. ‘He made me do it’ is a common refrain - NO ONE makes you do it; you do it yourself.

Philip Thayer

Spokane