Module 5

News Article

Voices of Aurora: Coping with grief, conquering life

The Ethical Connection

       According to Edwards, Scott, and Ramsay (2015), "On July 20, 2012, excited moviegoers gathered for a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" at the Century Aurora 16 Multiplex Theater in Aurora, Colorado." Shortly into the movie, a gunman entered the theater and began opening fire on the patrons. "Twelve people were killed and another 58 were wounded," Edwards, Scott, and Ramsay (2015) reported. Fast forward to almost three years later, and the survivors as well as the friends and families of the victims, are interviewed to see how they are coping. The reason for this glimpse into the lives of those involved is because tomorrow shooting suspect James Holmes goes on trial for 165 counts, including murder and attempted murder charges (Edwards, Scott, & Ramsay, 2015).

       Do some of the victims forgive the gunman for the pain he caused? Surprisingly, some of the victims do. Those that would like to meet the shooter and say that they actually forgive him for what he has done, believe in the justice system, have religious faith, and pity the assailant. These individuals believe in a forward-looking view of justice. According to Rosenstand (2013), if there are no future benefits to be had from punishing someone, then a forward-looking theory will not recommend punishment" (p. 358). Depending on who you ask, Holmes needs to be punished, but for what reasons will it be justified. "Retribution states that a person should be punished because he or she has committed a crime, and the punishment should be in proportion to that crime," as stated by Rosenstand (2015, p. 358). Let's just hope that Holmes' punishment is sufficient enough to give closure to those involved.

       References

Edwards, M., Scott, N., & Ramsay, K. (2015, April 26). Voices of Aurora: Coping with grief, conquering life. Cable News Network. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/26/us/voices-of-aurora/index.html

Rosenstand, N. (2013). The moral of the story: An introduction to ethics (7th ed.). New 
          York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Module 4

News Article

Officer shows 'great restraint' not shooting charging suspect, chief says

The Ethical Connection

If you follow the above link it takes you to an article reported by CNN that explains the decision a police officer made in the line of duty. With all of the controversy surrounding police shootings and whether or not they are justifiable, the family of Officer Jesse Kidder purchased a body camera for him to use while on the job (McLaughlin, 2015). According to McLaughlin (2015), "The officer gets out of his car, his gun trained on a suspect who had allegedly killed his fiancee and best friend before leading police on a multicounty chase through Kentucky and Ohio." The suspect approached the officer with his hands in his pockets stating, "Shoot me, or I'll shoot you" (McLaughlin, 2015). The officer was faced with a decision. He was unaware of the consequences of his decision not to fire his weapon, but hoped for the best. According to Rosenstand (2013), "We have to make an educated guess and hope for the best, act, and wait to see the results" (p. 240). Luckily the suspect did not have a weapon and the incident ended without any fatalities. Office Kidder made the decision to not open fire in hopes of the consequences not ending in injuries or worse, death. Rosenstand (2013) states, "The true value of our action is not clear until the consequences are clear" (p. 240). It wasn't until everything was over that Officer Kidder realized he made the right decision.

                                                                       References

McLaughlin, E. C. (2015, April 19). Suspect charges New Richmond cop, who doesn't shoot. Cable News Network. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/19/us/ohio-new-richmond-officer-does-not-shoot-suspect/index.html

Rosenstand, N. (2013). The moral of the story: An introduction to ethics (7th ed.). New 
          York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Module 3

News Article

Italy Rescues Almost 1,000 Migrants Amid Spike In Deaths At Sea

The Ethical Connection

The news article above reads Italy Rescues Almost 1,000 Migrants but why would someone do such a thing. Do they feel obligated to help other human beings that may be in distress? Are they required to assist others? These are questions that we all may be faced with from one time to another. According to Reuters (2015), "Italian and merchant ships rescued around 1,000 migrants from three overcrowded skiffs near the coast of Libya and found one dead body, Italy's coast guard said." Those that heard the distress call felt that it was their duty to answer the call and assist those who were in need. Rosenstand (2013) states, “Hume believed that compassion is the one natural human feeling that holds us together in a society” (p. 205). Having compassion for others is a trait that most of us have. Just because someone may need help, doesn’t mean you have to get involved. It is the feeling of it being our moral responsibility to help others that encourages us to get involved. Rosenstand (2013) explains, “Hume believes that humans are equipped not only with self-love but also with love for others” (p. 205). Hume suggests that it is natural to have love for others.

                                                                       References

Reuters. (2015, April 11). Italy Rescues Almost 1,000 Migrants Amid Spike In Deaths At Sea. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/11/italy-rescues-migrants_n_7045666.html

Rosenstand, N. (2013). The moral of the story: An introduction to ethics (7th ed.). New 
          York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Module 2

News Article

'Furious 7' movie focuses on more than one type of race 

The Ethical Connection

                  Since the early studies into values, ethics, and morals, researchers and philosophers have discussed ways to connect with others about these topics. As a young child, parents are often the individuals that discuss the various topics regarding values and morals, provide them with life lessons, and try their best instill in them the basis of human values. This may not always be an easy task so they must embed the underlying lessons within stories or forms of entertainment. Finding something that is more appealing to the child, will encourage them to be engaged and will make them a better medium for the lessons taught. Rosenstand (2013) states the following:

           We may think that the most powerful moral lessons are learned from events in our childhood, but chances are the most powerful lessons we carry with us are lessons we learn from the stories we have read or that were read to us. (p. 50)

                 The link above will take you to an article about an upcoming movie, Furious 7, that is able to display a message about diversity. France (2015), compares the lack of recognition of ethnically diverse actors and films. France (2015) states, “In contrast, "Furious 7" couldn't be more racially and ethnically inclusive.” Entertainment allows individuals to bring certain issues to the forefront and connect with an audience that may otherwise not be intrigued by the issue.

References

France, L. R. (2015, April 2). 'Furious 7' focuses on more than one type of race. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/02/entertainment/furious-7-race-diversity-feat/index.html

Rosenstand, N. (2013). The moral of the story: An introduction to ethics (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.