I Was Just Helping

Sometimes helping people with there homework can turn into you doing their homework. At what point is helping somebody on their homework cheating?

The Things I Forget to Wonder

This weekend I was told two separate stories that made me gasp.

The first was told by my elderly friend. She said that her sister was down visiting and she found a wallet outside the store. She looked in for a name and gave them a call. She did not trust giving it to the grocery store as she feared a worker might steal it. The lady was so grateful she delivered flowers on the porch the next day.

The second was told to me by an older friend as well, who, while visiting, an elderly gentleman in the retirement home was putting money away for him in his hat. (He liked to roll up the dollars and stick it in his hat.) There was a worker watching while she did this. Although she thought nothing of it, she soon came to find out that someone was stealing money from this old man.

Both of these situations are sad. The first is acting ethically under suspicion that others might not. The second is acting ethically under assumption that others will too. What got me most about both of these stories is, in both situations, I would have thought of anyone acting unethically. I have the inability to think of what other people might and probably will do. I do not know if this is due to my personality or the age in which I have been raised. I take both of these stories as a reminder to act ethically, but remember that many others will not. The first situation is a great outcome, even if the store had been ethical, there is no harm in assuming they won't.

Tell me, do you often think about others acting unethically or are you like me and always assume others act ethically? I am often the last to know that something like this is occurring because it is not something I think others do. What would you do? Take a bite, and let me know.

Justified Crimes

I heard an oratory speech this past weekend. It was about how some crimes are justified. I was interested in the topic as soon as I heard the title. It is something we have all pondered. Movies like the Boondock Saints exhibits how perhaps, some crimes, are justified. I sat in my seat ready to listen.

In her reasoning she mentioned that it was just for this young lady to higher someone to kill her father because she had no other choice. The girl was abused by her father, sexually and physically. She started joining activities, and doing everything she could to stay away from home. Although she escape the father's brutality, he had moved on to the little sister. Unable to take this, she hired someone to end her misery by ending her father's life. The orator said that in this case, it was a justified crime, she had to do it. I sat there pondering in my chair, and couldn't bring myself to believe it. This girl had not tried the other options, the more civil options. She had not tried to put her dad in prison, she had not tried to get them out of the situation. She simply jumped to ending another human life. I don't know if I can consider that just under many circumstances. No matter how just it may seem at the time, she could have done more.

The one part of the speech that was interesting to contemplate, and a bit more grey for me then the above issue, was that of stealing. She mentioned how during Katrina people were stealing, and that under these circumstances it was ok. If they were stealing the necessities, what they needed to survive, then they were just.

What do you think about just crimes? Do they exist? Is stealing ok in some situations, is killing ok? Take a bite, and tell me.

I had a Reason to Cheat

The other day I was telling a friend about the one time I cheated on a test. I was in third grade, I had missed class because my grandmother had died. Upon coming back I had to take a test on the bones in our body. To say the least, I don't know my bones. I never have. She allowed me to take the test home for some reason I cannot explain except to assume that she assumed that I was a good kid who wouldn't cheat. I sat with the paper on my bay window staring out the window. I didn't know the information. Right next to me was the study guide, I pulled it out, and used it to help me complete the test. The next day I handed it in, and I felt guilty beyond belief. I had never cheated before, and I have never cheated like that since.

When I was telling my friend about this story, I was sure to say that I had just gotten back from my grandmother's funeral. As though an excuse justifies my behavior. In reality, that excuse is the only reason I had the opportunity to cheat in the first place. But, it made me feel better about cheating.

This is just a small example of how we often look for excuses to justify our unethical behavior. As though, we had no other option. There is always another option, and just because it may not seem to benefit you the most, doesn't mean that we should allow ourselves to make the unethical decision.

Although, the ethics of cheating depends on what ethical philosophy you follow. Under some philosophies, cheating was the right decision for me. But in general, we all viewing cheating to be unethical, and I felt unethical doing it.

So readers, Take a bite. Do you notice people and corporations making excuses to justify their actions? Have you yourself made excuses?

Health Care Bill

The Health Care Bill passed earlier this week. Strong opinions are leading to many debates. I am wondering what the many ethical components to the bill are. Many individuals are complaining about the document being too long for anyone to have actual read. In sense that is unethical because the general public, whom it affects, is not given the true ability to understand what their congressman are voting for. The congress themselves are speculated to not have even read the document, many are calling them out for voting for a bill they haven't even read.

I am personally more concerned with all the added "pork barrel" to ensure that votes from certain states. I have also heard some issues with the government forcing us to take health care, saying that goes against our rights to freedom. Natural News pulled articles from the bill itself to discuss the possibility. It is an interesting thought. The bill itself has flaws, as all bills do, but is it really unethical?

The intention of the bill is, in many theories of ethics, the most ethical thing to do. It benefits the greatest amount of people. By ensuring that all Americans will be provided with health care we are making a statement that we care about them, and want them to be healthy.

However, if there really are some possible constitution violations, of which I have heard citizens worry about, is that not more important?

I have mixed feelings on the issue, because above all I believe that the constitution shall always be the priority, even if ethical theory says providing health care is more ethical. At the point when we are willing to give up those rights, is the point where America is no longer the same place. My thoughts on that could also have a little to do with enjoying the idea that the government will get called out if they try to violate our rights. To me, any breach, even if for a good cause, is a gateway to more and more breaches. I can't handle the idea, in the back of my head the book, 1984, by George Orwell rings as a warning.

I have not read the bill, I know not if it is unconstitutional. This article by Good Morning America discusses the possibility. It is a real issue, and one that if it is proven will set Obama's dream back. I guess only time will tell.

How do you feel? Do you believe that working for the great good should trump the constitution? Or do you not even believe it is unconstitutional to begin with? Take a bite, let me know what you think of the Government.

The Land of Layoffs

As the economy continues to spiral down, companies are making the decision to layoff many workers. Companies like Intel and Microsoft have laid off upwards of 5,000 employees. That is a lot of families changed. With so many people struggling in the economy, the question arises: Is it Ethical for companies to lay off so many workers just to ensure high profits?

This question is complex and perhaps depends on you view of ethics. In a way, although it is bad for those who are laid off, if it saves the jobs of the rest of the workers, is it not better? Or is it better for the company to just break even and keep those workers?

You decide. Take a Bite and let me know about layoffs.

Hotdogs an Ethical Decision?

We have all bitten into America's favorite baseball food, the hotdog. Every since I was little hotdogs were a familiar food, one that I enjoy a bit less now that I am an adult. Hamburgers and hotdogs were the main dish at every BBQ I went to. Know I am hearing that they are dangerous for little kids. Although I made it through my hotdog stage just fine, it makes you wonder. The ethical dilemma that hotdog manufactures are now facing is if they should do anything about this danger.

When I first read the line about hotdogs: "And it's potentially deadly. Should manufacturers act?" from The Business Ethics Blog, by Chris McDonald I was worried that the actual food product was dangerous, that it caused cancer or something (as everything else seems to lead to cancer these days). As I read further, it discussed that hotdogs are a choking factor. I remembered reading an article from Fast Company that talked about redesigning the hotdog. Click here to read the article. The article shows many possible designs that make the product less hazardous to children.

Should the manufacturers be obligated to change the hotdog to make it less of a choking hazard? I mean, haven't hot dogs been around for generations? At what point is the possibility of a child choking on a product extreme enough to hold manufactures at fault? I am not sure about you, but I remember my mother cutting up all my food when I was little to prevent choking. A child could choke on just about any food out there. Does that mean we have to redesign all food?

So where is the line drawn between parent obligations and manufacture obligations? Perhaps consumers view hotdogs being marketed to children, placing more obligation on the manufactures than the parents. This issue, is becoming more than an ethical issue for the manufactures of hotdogs. If they do not do anything, they face being sued. Is it unethical to produce a product that is so easy to choke on?

In my personal opinion, I do not think that the manufactures (in this case) have any obligation to change the design of the hotdog. It has been around for so long, and it is not the manufactures job. It is the parents job to ensure the child does not choke. If we continue to put blame on the manufactures, then what do we hold the parents to? It is important for humanity that we expect parents to take certain precautions with their children at all ages. We cannot continue to baby everyone through life.

Perhaps you disagree with my logic. I want to know what you think about the hotdog. Take a bite, contemplate, and let me know.