[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Poe969

So the people who don't like these names in question can just stop paying attention to them. Sometimes that is the best solution, there are way worse things than this going on. It isn't illegal and changing the name isn't really going to change any other issues. Spend the time and effort trying to change things that really matter.

Generally that's what I do, I change the channel but it isn't always convenient when watching sport highlights. What I'm saying here is why I change the channel.

As for the argument that there are way worse things going on and it isn't illegal doesn't mean it's ethical.

Here's some instructional tidbits on ethics for you.

Since most people will admit that principles of right and wrong are not determined by polls, those who try to use this fallacy are really admitting misconduct.

If someone really is making the argument that an action is no longer unethical because so many people do it, then that person is either in dire need of ethical instruction, or an idiot.

about illegality

The greater problem with it is that it omits the concept of ethics at all [see "Ethics vs. Compliance"]. Ethical conduct is self-motivated, based on the individual's values and the internalized desire to do the right thing. Al Gore's construct assumes that people only behave ethically if there is a tangible, state-enforced penalty for not doing so, and that not incurring a penalty (that is, not breaking the law) is, by definition, ethical.

Simply put, compliance with rules, including laws, isn't the same as ethics. Compliance depends on an individual's desire to avoid punishment. Ethical conduct arises from an individual's genuine desire to do the right thing. The most unethical person in the world will comply if the punishment is stiff enough. But if he can do something unethical without breaking the rules, watch out!

http://www.ethicsscoreboard.com/rb_fallacies.html

and as for your "there worse things" argument.

4. The Comparative Virtue Excuse: "There are worse things."
If "Everybody does it" is the Golden Rationalization, this is the bottom of the barrel. Yet amazingly, this excuse is popular in high places: witness the "Abu Ghraib was bad, but our soldiers would never cut off Nick Berg's head" argument that was common during the height of the Iraq prisoner abuse scandal. It is true that for most ethical misconduct, there are indeed "worse things." Lying to your boss in order to goof off at the golf course isn't as bad as stealing a ham, and stealing a ham is nothing compared selling military secrets to North Korea. So what? We judge human conduct against ideals of good behavior that we aspire to, not by the bad behavior of others. One's objective is to be the best human being that we can be, not to just avoid being the worst rotter anyone has ever met.