All moral standards are relative and as human constructs, subject to opinion. A judge can't realistically pass a moral or ethical judgement without a benchmark (often a law). If for example , the standard benchmark for excellent behavior is the highest office in the land, or say the majority religious patriarch, and that person or group of persons are down in the toilet, then that's the highest required standard by the subjects as well. That's the whole point of a minimum standard of acceptable behavior.
We don't live in a monarchy or oligarchy here in America, so what basis does anyone have for holding a mere 'subject' to a higher standard than we hold the occupant of the highest office in the land -and how will history judge the current standard bearer?
Now- if we were subject to a dictatorship,monarchy or oligarchy ; then sure, you could have a basis for making a biased judgment with extraordinary penance requirements for a person or group.
I'm not defending the crime, nor the criminal, nor the subsequent deception used to cover the person's criminal past. I don't and never will condone those things. I am, and if you re-read my posts, have consistently made the argument that few of us are in a position to single one person out as being exceptionally needy of deliverance and repentence. Not to interject too much of my personal faith into the argument, but I could cite a classic scriptural reference to buttress my point. I doubt I need to. In 4 years of participation in around 20 forums of various stripe, I've only found one that doesn't contain constant moral jockying and perverse mudslinging.
As some have pointed out- were it not for Strider's success, his history would have remained cloaked- his claims bearing little consequence. Just as President Bush's dubious service record would have remained cloaked, were it not for his uncanny ability to rally the faithful around him soley on the strength of an allegedly 'higher moral standard' that he stridently hammered into us during his 6 year campaign . Strider is clearly not as adept at sanitizing his past as the current 'chief'. Then again, Strider just wants to make and sell knives, the chief want's a glowing review in the History books at any cost- lives, lies , the planet, cash- it doesn't matter to him what it takes.
So why judge the gravity of Mick Strider's deeds with a different gauge than one you use for the sitting President of the United States? Are you planning to nominate him for office some day?
Now, as to the example of my car being stolen- indeed, I would rather that it be stolen than say my son kidnapped or my sister raped. I happen to love diamonds and am fully capable of executing a heist myself ( Humn.. so someone got to the exchange before me eh?)- so I'd have no problem replacing by stolen and beat up old car with a spanking new Rolls Royce Cornice- if I wished to do so illegally. So I'd say you've made an apt analogy. The local Police are well aware of who I am and what I do and they keep close tabs on me- as they should. They also get a lot of the stuff we review as donations after we're done. As do my local fire dept. & Boy Scout troop. I'm sure they'd like more but it does buy me a little more good will than persons that don't contribute anything at all.
Allow me to suggest that we have a choice to make. Either we judge the morality and ethics of our peers against an absolute benchmark of perfection or we judge them on a relative one. But one thing I do not believe we have a choice in- is even handedness- which is the thrust of my verbalizations here. Let's judge all those that make false claims of heroism with the same excellent and efficient yardstick that you've used against Strider's history-then I'll know that your motive was to be fair to the community and not just single out one person. Our government will pay dearly for it's current experiments with differential standards for the treatment of captives. Surely this humble forum can show them that there's a better path .
Oh! I should also appologize for my verbose English. English is neither my 'mother tongue' nor native language.I use these exchanges to get as much writing practice as I can.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 
What Mr. Moodino argues here is that lying is ok... as long as you're not the worst liar on the stage.
I wonder what Mr. Moodino would think if his car was stolen and he called the police to report it and the response was, "Who cares? Compared to the New York Diamond Exchange Vault Heist, your car is nothing. Call us back when you think someone has perpetrated a really significant crime against you."
