On 2019-10-04 14:02:45 Arhwen said:
While I perceive both the scammer and the drug mule to be doing wrong.

I would like to understand how can one judge one more harshly than the other.

One can be quick to say don't judge the one drug mule because we don't know her situation. While this is true can you then have the same kind of understanding towards the scammer. Who also has made bad choices, who's situation we don't know.

What's your opinion?

Drugs are a BIG no no where I am concerned. The detestation that happened to two families and their extended families that I saw, was horrific and unforgivable. Both families, who were well off, lost their respective houses and after the death of the eldest son the family disintegrated, so no forgiveness there

Every terrorist is someone's hero.

It's not about passing judgement, it's about taking a stand and not accepting the bullshit that is leading to the material deterioration of our societies.

No one here is an angel and not one situation is simple black and white, good or evil.

But where people's lives are ruined or lost because of the selfish actions of a few, we should stop trying to explain that away.

Scams, drugs, robberies, murders, rape and I can name much more. So long as people hurt and people die, we need to stop trying to understand why the perpetrators do what they do. Tolerating evil simply leads to more evil, not less.

On 2019-10-04 14:11:45 Kimmylee said:
"Judge not before the appointed time"

Straight from the Word

Um, a different perspective is maybe it's like shoplifting either food to eat or jewellery compared to assaulting a women. Different crimes and we don't know the reason for either but we want to judge one as worse right yet we don't know the reason. Hits home?

And while extortion is purely one sided, drug usage is usually willing buyer, willing seller. I mean someone is actually paying for this stuff right to create the demand. Yes, both have reasons and circumstances but everything I'm life does, a guy buys flowers for a girl for a reason, maybe he loves her, maybe her family passed away, maybe he's apologising for seeing a wg. Now forget those red roses you're picturing and imagine her getting black roses in a coffin. How do you judge that compared to beautiful red bunch I'm a vase.

I'm sorry but the severity of the crime and the relevance to us personally is not the same and it cannot be treated the same.

Let's see the similarities between them.

1. Both are morally wrong.
2. They have the same motives-desperate need for money. If the smuggler was really coerced why did she get compensated for it? Sounds more like a deal was made. I might argue that the scammer might be similarly coerced or worse

According to 2, if you use the argument "we do not know why she did it/we do not know her motives.." then you can argue similarly for scammers. But NOBODY did on the post on scammers. Why? This will be answered in the next episode of Dragon Ball Z....not really I will answer it now.

1. People are selfish. Plain simple. The presence of scammers mean that punters are at risks of getting robbed and wgs will have fewer clients as trust is scarce. So, as WE are affected WE care.
2. Quite related to 1, we have the choice to take drugs but not the choice to be robbed. Robbery is forceful. So having the choice to take drugs transfers the blame to the drug addict-victim and the smuggler is an angel trying to facilitate a transaction.(Had an argument with a wg about this)
3. Popularity contest. Scammers don't have friends- only accomplice
4. Smuggler is a good friend/mother and that apparently means she gets a free pass to hurt and treat others badly.

Which is worse?

We can all agree that physical harm is worse than theft. We can all agree that hurting thousands of lives is worse than hurting one person. We can all agree that drug abuse is a serious issue. We all have anecdotes where our relatives had serious drug problems and how it affected the people around them. You know the answer.

Getting robbed does not prevent you from making money in the future. Drugs rob your future. (Drops the mic)

On 2019-10-04 14:29:15 Melina - The Edging Expert said:
On 2019-10-04 14:21:30 Ms Paige said:

The reason I started this thread is because I have hit a stumbling block as far as Enlightenment goes. Yes we should not judge as we will be held accountable for our own actions. I wanted to understand how it is easy for people to be more understanding of 1 scenarios than the other if society deems them both to be wrong. Do people who have understanding towards someone muling drugs and not the scammer then double standards.

Absolutely.
Anyone who has an opinion has double standards.
Why?
As far as enlightenment goes, you would actually not give a fuck.
The fact that you give a fuck, simply and probably means that your ego might be involved.
If it wasn't the case, you'd probably not have been bothered by whatever it was, that bothered you...

[QUOTE;2034440;Melina -

The reason I started this thread is because I have hit a stumbling block as far as Enlightenment goes. Yes we should not judge as we will be held accountable for our own actions. I wanted to understand how it is easy for people to be more understanding of 1 scenarios than the other if society deems them both to be wrong. Do people who have understanding towards someone muling drugs and not the scammer then double standards.

[/QUOTE]

I really love your question.

My understanding is that we, as individuals, have our own journey towards enlightenment. So, for example, should I be a judge in court and be responsible to judge someone (based on his/her societal wrongdoing), by being ethical and making decisions according to my soul's guidance and instincts, as well as being authentic and righteous...that, according to me is enlightenment.

Enlightenment has so many facets, hence there are so many ways to achieve it.

So, irrespective which journey we are on, enlightenment is achievable, once the ego is balanced, in my view...

Enlightenment is the "full comprehension of a situation.

Thus.. In both these situations.. None of us knows the true why's for their actions..and believe me being a friend,family member, lover,spouse,child,parent ,judge or jurist does not help to make you more enlightened than the rest of us. It just makes you more tolerant or less tolerant of their actions than the rest of us. Because you had a connection with that person before they went down this path they find themselves on or it is your job to find a excuse for them or your job to put them away or you have been a victim of a similar thing.

As much as anyone wants to deny this. Every single one of us and our actions have a impact on society as a whole.

And having people doing shit like this ain't good for us as a society. It might not touch you directly now. But believe me somewhere in the future it might.. That same set of drugs that came in will be the reason some kid is on a high when he decides to mug you in town to get your money to buy his next high.

The scamming lady.. This might not have effected you directly.. But because of it one day you might need help and because people remember this ,there will be no help coming for you as a innocent good hearted person in genuine need.

And saying I don't like what they did and that they deserve want is coming their way does not make me less enlightened than the rest of the world it just makes me human and more honest about how I feel than someone with no opinion at all. Those with no opinion at all are not enlightened enough about themselves and what they deem to be right or wrong.. Blurred opinions/no opinions are more dangerous than having opinions ,whether those opinions are what is deemed right or not by others.

...........

On 2019-10-04 14:48:27 majorjohn said:
I suspect the attitudes taken are strongly influenced by the popularity of the respective ladies. It is harder to take a hard line attitude towards someone you know and liked. The answer is always, "but I know them and they must have had a reason". Personally I feel trafficking drugs, especially heroin is the far more serious offence even if it is less close to home. And there was an attempt to extort me so I can relate to that.

This makes the most sense. The fact that there was not a single post trying to understand why the scammer did what she did is very much proof of that. Our response is also affected by our history or personal experience of what the person has done.
Being non-judgemental is a journey. We are never 100% there.