The Means Must Be Compatible with the Ends

I enjoyed Steve Simpson's post on the right of property owners to build a mosque near ground zero. This paragraph in particular is a good reminder that there are, and can be, no shortcuts in life, whether it be towards personal achievement or changing a culture:

It doesn't help that the cause may be moral. Morality is necessary to objective law, but it is far from sufficient. Objective law also requires, well, that we actually have objective laws and processes on the books and that we use them. It is not enough--it is never, ever enough--to say that it would be morally appropriate to proceed against someone if we only had the laws to do it, but since we lack the laws or the political will, our ends justify whatever means we decide to use under the circumstances.