I think that only applies to whole groups of people who can’t choose who they are. Some palestinian wishing Netanyahu died is a whole different thing from that same palestinian wanting every Israeli to die. And this can apply to any minority. To me, directing rage to the person directly responsible for someone’s oppression is a completely different beast from directing your rage to an entire group of people who just happens to share one trait with said oppressor.

I pose a different thought: there are different ways to want someone’s death.

There’s wishing someone is dead because you hate them.

There’s wishing someone is dead because there is no other way to stop the harm they’re causing.

On the outside, it’s hard to tell the difference, but I think it’s profoundly different internally. In my opinion, the former lacks deeper thought. I think most people genuinely believe that whatever they’re doing is good, or at least justified.

To a large degree, we are shaped by our environment. Yes, we can argue free will, but there’s always a bias. It’s similar to what Christians told me when I was a kid when I asked if indigenous tribes in the middle of nowhere could be saved by Jesus. Teachers told me, “well, they can find God/Jesus in the world around them.” Like… theoretically, that’s not impossible, but realistically, no. If there’s some kid growing up being told his whole life that black people are evil and want to hurt him, and the only time he sees or meets black people are in hostile situations… what else is he going to believe? Should we excuse him? His actions, absolutely not. Him as a person… no… i think…? But how do we solve that? Should we just obliterate the population that kid was a part of? I don’t have a great answer.

Basically, I think we should avoid hating people, and you can wish someone to die without hating them. The sheep can wish for the wolf to be dead so the sheep can be safe, but the wolf has to eat, too.

Phon