In need of a Moral compass - Running bandit. (Read 1203 times)

Jim, I was with you until you implied that the conscious and deliberate violation of rules is unethical. Solely the fact that a rule is consciously and deliberately broken does not make an act unethical (ask MLK, Ghandi, or Prefontaine for that matter). If the rule is unethical, the conscious and deliberate breaking of the rule is actually a highly ethical act. So, your argument needs one more step: you need to show that charging for a race is an ethical act.

My argument was not based on "charging for a race", but on requiring registration, which serves purposes other than just collecting an entry fee. Your argument establishes that it is ethical for an individual to violate or ignore a law or rule of conduct that s/he can demonstrate to be "unethical", as MLK, Ghandi and Pre did. I agree. In the case of race banditry, I submit that the responsibility lies with the bandit to demonstrate that charging to participate in a race is unethical, not with me to show that it is ethical.

In the case of race banditry, I submit that the responsibility lies with the bandit to demonstrate that charging to participate in a race is unethical, not with me to show that it is ethical.

Okay, that's reasonable. I guess I don't really see banditing as an ethical issue because I don't see it as a real problem with bad consequences. It could become a real problem if everyone decided to do it. But it hasn't and won't. Because people like to feel like they are a part of the celebration. I don't see why someone would want to bandit. But I also don't see why people are so outraged at the mere idea of banditing. Seems to me like this outrage is also a violation of the celebratory spirit of the race. Which is why most race directors will actually give you permission to bandit if you ask. Because they are generous, and denying access to the celebration is--to my mind--more petty than asking for it.