Animal rights groups just paid a large price for falling prey to #13 on the Rationalization List, The Saints Excuse, which is described in part thusly..

This rationalization has probably caused more death and human suffering than any other. The words “it’s for a good cause” have been used to justify all sorts of lies, scams and mayhem. It is the downfall of the zealot, the true believer, and the passionate advocate that almost any action that supports “the Cause,’ whether it be liberty, religion, charity, or curing a plague, is seen as being justified by the inherent rightness of the ultimate goal…The Saint’s Excuse  allows charities to strong-arm contributors, and advocacy groups to use lies and innuendo to savage ideological opponents. The Saint’s Excuse is that the ends justify the means, because the “saint” has decided that the ends are worth any price—especially when that price will have to be paid by someone else.

And thus it was that  in 2000 a former Ringling Brothers circus worker filed a lawsuit claiming that the circus’s elephants were abused, just as animal rights groups have long claimed. It was later determined that he had been paid at least $190,000 by the animal rights groups, including the Humane Society, the Fund for Animals and the ASPCA, to back their charges. This is illegal. This is unethical. After a 2009 trial found that the abuse allegations could not be proved, the circus sued for legal fees. The ASPCA paid Ringling Bros. $9.3 million in a settlement in 2012, and now the other groups will have to cough up $16 million. They got what they deserved.

But in a statement showing that they haven’t learned a thing, for saints are like that, Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States pointed out that the settlement is covered by insurance and no donor money will go to the circus. So really, it’s OK that they used bribery to try to nail their adversaries, right?  No harm no foul! ( Rationalization # 8: The Trivial Trap). Then he added this jaw-dropper:

“But with the funds (Ringling Bros.)  is receiving, we urge the company to combat the killing of tens of thousands of elephants for their ivory.An additional $15 million can save countless elephants, by putting more armed guards on the ground or by working to reduce demand in ivory-consuming countries.”

Unbelievable. Pacelle’s organization bribes a plaintiff and witness, quite possibly suborning perjury, thus causing a business to spend millions over 14 years to defend itself, and then has the gall to suggest that its victim should spend the money it was justly a compensated for this illegal and outrageous mistreatment to further the organizational objectives of the miscreants who paid it!!

Let me see, what would be like this? A defendant who cripples a driver while illegally racing on a highway settling the lawsuit and then suggesting that his victim contribute the settlement to the National Off-Road Racing Association, perhaps? How about an Archdiocese suggesting that the victim of priest molestation contribute his settlement from the Church to the Catholic Ministries? The victim of child rape being told by his rapist that he should consider contributing his settlement to the Man-Boy Love Association?

Wow.

The Saint’s Excuse apparently metastasizes into the Saint’s Delusion.

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Facts: Washington Post 1, 2

Graphic: Washington Post