Are You Sure?
Your friend gets drunk and confides that a month ago, he seriously injured a pedestrian and didn't stop. Do you report your friend? |
There's a game called Scruples in which the players answer ethical dilemmas printed on cards.
You win a tennis tournament because your opponent's final volley is ruled "out." You saw it was in. Do you tell the umpire? |
Sometimes when I'm stumped for ideas about a story, I flip through my Scruples cards and see if anything piques my interest. There is something about these questions that makes me squirm. They make my head hurt. Often, morals are taught as absolutes. Thou shalt not kill. There are no qualifiers there, no loopholes for us to parse and weasel through. But life doesn't serve us situations that are so black and white. It's hard to really know what you believe in until you're faced with a decision that challenges your assumptions.
You're drafted to fight in a war you consider unjust. At risk of going to jail, do you refuse to fight? |
The world isn't black and white. I don't think morality should be. I believe in situational ethics. I believe it's wrong to kill, but I would fight to defend my family. Absolutes are for people who don't want to think about situations. I believe in thinking, not in knee-jerk reactions.
Blog Tag: Opinion
6 Comments:
How right you are!
I tried to answer thise questions, it seems easy until you really consider the consequences....Life is most definatley black and white.
Do I dare try to post? Oh, well, why not!
I love the photo on the right. I forget the artists name - he is incredible. Amazing. (I wanted to say phenomenal but I don't think I can spell it correctly). Anyway, I've dreamed of owning a piece of glass from that artist, the one whose name I can't remember - but I will - remember it that is. About 3:00am on my way to the bathroom.
Scruples...morals. Okay, I'd definitely do what I could to convince my "friend" to report the crime. Yes, I'd report it probably. Yes. But, I'd do everything I could to get them to report it. Go with them, call an attorney, for and with them,...call a therapist, a priest a minister, I don't know but I would do anything and everything in my power but yes, seriously injuring someone? Yep, gotta deal with it. Plus who wants to live with that on their head? Not me and not my friend. Yep, I'd tell the umpire. I'm just weird like that. I would have tell. I probably wouldn't want to 100% but I would. Definitely. Unjust war? I might just have to go spend some time with Dale up in Canada. I try to be moral but I'm not a saint that's for sure.
Oh and regarding the accident? I just had someone write me an email asking to help her find a scooter. You know why? Her legs were amputated after an accident with a drunk driver. And trust me, I had my days when I drove certainly more intoxicated than I should have. Again, I'm no saint. Just very lucky I guess. I wouldn't do it now but yes, I admit it, I have before and I'm ashamed about it.
Okay, I'm going to click "Publish your comment" ONCE! JUST ONCE DAVE! I promise! :-)
Which picture on the right, Terri? It's different every time you load the page (like the quote at the top). The pictures were all taken by my daughter or myself.
I try to do the right thing, but it's not always easy, and not always practical. And when I don't, I try not to get caught. :)
It looked like glass jelly fish?
Ah, that one. That was a ceiling light fixture in the lobby at the Bellagio hotel in Vegas. I love colored glass.
It looks like a Chihuly design. Google it. You'll see some interesting things, Teri.
I could come up with definite answers to those questions. :) They are not just "yes" or "no" to be sure.
Excellent article!
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