#admittedly I got this thought from Corey Olson and SilmFilm

[polutrope]

This is interesting. It makes me think of the (I think, more satisfying) version of events in The Tale of Years where the Dwarves do not take the Silmaril out of Doriath, but Melian saves it and brings it to Beren and Luthien. And instead of Beren and the Ents attacking the Dwarves, Celegorm and Curufin ambush them, thinking they have the Silmaril:

Curufin and Celegorm, hearing of the sack of Menegroth, ambushed the Dwarves at the Fords of Ascar as they sought to carry off the Dragon-gold to the mountains. The Dwarves were defeated with great loss, but they cast the gold into the river, which was therefore after named Rathloriel. Great was the anger of the sons of Feanor to discover that the Silmaril was not with the Dwarves; but they dared not to assail Luthien. Dior goes to Doriath and endeavours to recover the realm of Thingol.

It shows again that, villainous though they have become, they don't just go from "not trying at all" to "kinslay!". This failed ambush is much more satisfying to me in the "villain arc" of the sons of Feanor. They've tried assaulting Morgoth, they've tried conquering the conquerers... then they are too afraid to assail Luthien (friggin love that btw) and the attack of Doriath is their last resort. In their logic, which is warped, but still.

Like OP, I'm not defending them. I don't think the Oath could physically make them do anything, and I think it's fair to call them cowards and condemn their logic, but I do think we overlook some of the steps that led them down the path towards the second kinslaying.

I’m here to chew on the House of Fëanor like a tiger with a pumpkin full of raw beef, not to defend any of their actions, but, man, sometimes I see Second Kinslaying discourse and I just gotta be like…

i mean they did also kill jesus try to regain the 2 Silmarils from Morgoth first. that was a pretty significant thing that happened. like i understand where you’re coming from here but they very much did try to regain the 2 Silmarils from Morgoth first.

Like what the FUCK do you think the Union of Maedhros and the goddamn Nirnaeth Arnoediad was FOR.