When someone flies a plane into a building, the motivation matters

[Igel]

12. The motivation we ascribe to them?

Or the motivation they claim for themselves?

Because often for purposes of our own beliefs--our politics, our religion, our morals, what we think is our due or somebody else's due--we merrily say, "Oh, well, they may *say* that's the reason, but *we* know better and their *real* reason is ..." something that serves us.

For many things, the motivation is, "This is what's right and good." That can be taking away property for a higher goal, it can be putting people in jail, it can be destroying their lives in karmic retribution. Hitler didn't think himself bad. Neither did Stalin. Very few bad people consider themselves bad. So what's their motivation? Oppression? But that's not the motive they give themselves.

And if everybody thinks they're right, the condemnation comes in saying, "Well, they may *think* they're right, but by our set of moral values and how they're ranked, they are completely wrong."

Whether it's an angry mob assembling outside a women's clinic, or an angry mob assembling outside the office of a senator who may not vote the "righteous" way. (We don't call it righteous because that's associated with religion. "Just," "right", "moral," "progressive" or many other words have the same root meaning without the connotation "religious".)