By Paul Goeke

Last week, I was really surprised by the uproar caused by certain people who leaked the new Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book before it was officially released.  It wasn’t as if people were slightly perturbed by it – they were deeply offended.    No one really seemed to be worried that the leaks would negatively effect the sales or finances of the book; they just felt that the person/people who leaked the book should “be fired,” “charged with some sort of crime” or “be shot” (actual quotes) because they ruined people’s fun. 

Now, while I suppose if someone didn’t want the plot ruined for them, they could have just not read the early leaked reviews and photos of the book.  But I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.  They’re right.  Whoever leaked the book shouldn’t have done it.  It was against the law or against contracts or something. 

I guess my whole point in commenting on this issue is this: in some way, a significant portion of the population all agreed that leaking this book a couple days early was an inexcusable, egregious, and malicious act that should result in serious punishment.   Somehow, a large number of people simultaneously raised up a universal moral banner, “This is Wrong!”   Somehow, many columnists who might normally fight for people’s right to determine their own personal truths regarding what is right and wrong – somehow they now were able to proclaim with deep conviction that a universal moral code had been broken.  Leaking the book was beyond personal truth about right and wrong…it was just flat wrong.

So, how do you determine what is universally right and wrong?  How do you determine what is universally True?  Where do you get your morals? Is it based upon feeling?  Societal norms?  Cultural mores?  Something that was passed on by family or friends?   Religious traditions?  Or is it something bigger than just societies and cultures and traditions?   Does it change over time?  Does it change from age to age? Can what is universally wrong today be okay tomorrow?  If universal rights and wrongs change, I guess they’re not very universal.  

I know there are some things that are relative, but if I don’t have a way to figure out what is universally right and wrong, I should probably figure something out… because if not, I can’t complain if some guy jacks my truck or mugs me on the street or robs my house  – ‘cause after all, maybe that was the right thing for him to do according to his own personal truth.

Maybe the question isn't so much, "What is universally right and wrong."  Maybe the question is, "What is universally true?"