Ethical Decisions

[transformers]

Picture these scenarios, and imagine how you might respond to them:

1) You're at the mall and see a woman have her bag snatched by a random stranger. The stranger runs off with the bag, the woman shrieks for someone to get him. What do you do?

2) Your ipod/laptop/phone goes missing, and you see a friend at work/school using one that looks exactly like it the next day. You're almost positive it is yours. What do you do?

3) A friend is depressed about her life, she is concerned that she is nearing 30 and has no qualifications other than a high school diploma and no career and no family. She had just broken up with her long time boyfriend. What do you do?

4) You are an atheist. Your significant other, until recently, was one as well, but has recently become enthusiastic about x religion and wants to convert. She/He wants you to convert also, and threatens to leave if you don't. What do you do?

5) Your teenage son is arrested for dealing narcotics. He says he is innocent, but you have seen the evidence in his room and know he is lying. He wants you to bail him out; if you don't, he'll go to jail for 6 months and have a criminal record attached to his name. What do you do?

I'll be interested to hear your replies.

 

[Kuu]

1) Yawn. Observe situation. Ponder the futility of laws and the false sense of security they afford.

2) Approach. Find out.

3) "life is meaningless anyway, why do you even worry" (yeah... comforting people... I don't do that).

4) Convert or leave? I leave her first. That's crossing a very important line. Nobody tries to manipulate me emotionally and keeps my respect. Even less if its done for the sake of religion.

5) (putting aside that I will never have children) it depends wether I like him or not, and wether he's stupid or not, etc etc. I don't think drugs are bad, so I would bail him out on that account... why ruin a kids life for some stupid thing such as prohibition? But maybe he had it coming because he's an asshole with no future anyway, in that case I wouldn't bail him... too many variables, really .

 

[nickgray]

1) You're at the mall and see a woman have her bag snatched by a random stranger. The stranger runs off with the bag, the woman shrieks for someone to get him. What do you do?

Observe the situation for 5-10 seconds, then move on.

2) Your ipod/laptop/phone goes missing, and you see a friend at work/school using one that looks exactly like it the next day. You're almost positive it is yours. What do you do?

Gonna sneak behind him and observe if the gadget is really mine. If it is - either a) simply steal it back without any word said b) take it back at a good opportunity and start asking questions about wtf he's doing with my gadget.

3) A friend is depressed about her life, she is concerned that she is nearing 30 and has no qualifications other than a high school diploma and no career and no family. She had just broken up with her long time boyfriend. What do you do?

Welcome to the losers club! Members: ~6.5 billion.

4) You are an atheist. Your significant other, until recently, was one as well, but has recently become enthusiastic about x religion and wants to convert. She/He wants you to convert also, and threatens to leave if you don't. What do you do?

I highly doubt that I'd have a "significant other" that would want to become religious. But life is strange indeed, and if such thing would happen I'd leave her. As fast as possible.

5) Your teenage son is arrested for dealing narcotics. He says he is innocent, but you have seen the evidence in his room and know he is lying. He wants you to bail him out; if you don't, he'll go to jail for 6 months and have a criminal record attached to his name. What do you do?

I do not want children.

However in a hypothetical situation it'll depend on what kind of a person my son is, how crappy the jail is, etc., etc. In most situations I'd probably bail him out, but if the case is more or less extreme - let him sit in jail for a while. In either case, I do not want children.

 

[RubberDucky451]

Picture these scenarios, and imagine how you might respond to them:

1) You're at the mall and see a woman have her bag snatched by a random stranger. The stranger runs off with the bag, the woman shrieks for someone to get him. What do you do?

2) Your ipod/laptop/phone goes missing, and you see a friend at work/school using one that looks exactly like it the next day. You're almost positive it is yours. What do you do?

3) A friend is depressed about her life, she is concerned that she is nearing 30 and has no qualifications other than a high school diploma and no career and no family. She had just broken up with her long time boyfriend. What do you do?

4) You are an atheist. Your significant other, until recently, was one as well, but has recently become enthusiastic about x religion and wants to convert. She/He wants you to convert also, and threatens to leave if you don't. What do you do?

5) Your teenage son is arrested for dealing narcotics. He says he is innocent, but you have seen the evidence in his room and know he is lying. He wants you to bail him out; if you don't, he'll go to jail for 6 months and have a criminal record attached to his name. What do you do?

I'll be interested to hear your replies.

1) You're at the mall and see a woman have her bag snatched by a random stranger. The stranger runs off with the bag, the woman shrieks for someone to get him. What do you do?

He may be armed and there's no use putting my life in danger for a handbag. She was also careless to have it stolen.

2) Your ipod/laptop/phone goes missing, and you see a friend at work/school using one that looks exactly like it the next day. You're almost positive it is yours. What do you do?

Lie to him in a manner that lets you use the computer. Then I'd look for cosmetic defects unique to my laptop.

3) A friend is depressed about her life, she is concerned that she is nearing 30 and has no qualifications other than a high school diploma and no career and no family. She had just broken up with her long time boyfriend. What do you do?

Lie to her and tell her you'll believe she'll be ok. "you have a lot going for you, blah blah blah".

4) You are an atheist. Your significant other, until recently, was one as well, but has recently become enthusiastic about x religion and wants to convert. She/He wants you to convert also, and threatens to leave if you don't. What do you do?

Religion > Girlfriend. She's an ass for taking my religion so lightly.

5) Your teenage son is arrested for dealing narcotics. He says he is innocent, but you have seen the evidence in his room and know he is lying. He wants you to bail him out; if you don't, he'll go to jail for 6 months and have a criminal record attached to his name. What do you do?

Depending on his past behavior I'd make a decision. Is he 18?

 

[Artifice Orisit]

1) You're at the mall and see a woman have her bag snatched by a random stranger. The stranger runs off with the bag, the woman shrieks for someone to get him. What do you do?

Trip him, if convenient.
Or have a little "fun" if I'm in a really bad mood.

2) Your ipod/laptop/phone goes missing, and you see a friend at work/school using one that looks exactly like it the next day. You're almost positive it is yours. What do you do?

Activate the failsafe and watch the fireworks, from a safe distance.

3) A friend is depressed about her life, she is concerned that she is nearing 30 and has no qualifications other than a high school diploma and no career and no family. She had just broken up with her long time boyfriend. What do you do?

Console her until she goes away.
Or do a carpe diem speech if she really is someone I value.

4) You are an atheist. Your significant other, until recently, was one as well, but has recently become enthusiastic about x religion and wants to convert. She/He wants you to convert also, and threatens to leave if you don't. What do you do?

Approach said religion with an open mind, then crush it.

5) Your teenage son is arrested for dealing narcotics. He says he is innocent, but you have seen the evidence in his room and know he is lying. He wants you to bail him out; if you don't, he'll go to jail for 6 months and have a criminal record attached to his name. What do you do?

Scold him for dealing the stuff himself, no son of mine would be such an idiot.
The dealers are expendable, suppliers are not, he should know that already.

 

[Jaico]

1) Eh, I'm a fast sprinter, so I'd probably run after him or try and stop him somehow (given that the probability of putting myself in danger where I live is close to nil). Plus, who doesn't love being the big hero sometimes?

2) Ask them about it how long they've had it/how they got it/why I haven't seen it before. I'm sure I'd be able to catch them in a lie...somewhere. In any case, if I was absolutely sure it was mine, I'd do my best to get it back.

3) Suggest what they could do. Mulling about probably wouldn't help, and at least she doesn't have any kids...still, I'd try not to be overbearing/condescending, and I certainly wouldn't force my beliefs or personal ideas and convictions onto her.

4) I'd look into it (see also: wikipedia), and if it doesn't hold my interest, I'd try to talk them into seeing my point of view (i.e. you're not going to force any sort of religious views on me/give me an ultimatum of that sort). If all else fails, then I'd have to leave - no point in sticking around.

5) Like others have said, it depends on past behaviour...although I think I'd be inclined to bail him out - and then make sure he doesn't do anything like that ever again.

 

[Jennywocky]

It's funny to try to imagine what I would have done at age 20, vs age 40 right this moment. I'm not even sure my answers are what people would deem "ethical," but they are honest at least, as best as I can recall and project now...

1) You're at the mall and see a woman have her bag snatched by a random stranger. The stranger runs off with the bag, the woman shrieks for someone to get him. What do you do?

Age 20: Stare stupidly, try to duck out unless the woman saw me, whereupon I try to help her so that I wouldn't look bad.

Age 40: Chase stupidly after the guy and shout loudly for help. (Hope to god I am not wearing my heels though.)

2) Your ipod/laptop/phone goes missing, and you see a friend at work/school using one that looks exactly like it the next day. You're almost positive it is yours. What do you do?

Age 20: Look quietly for clues to be certain, probably do not ascertain 100% certainty, agonize for weeks in bitterness and shame over doing nothing.

Age 40: Look quietly for clues to be certain, and if I'm really close to 100%, I either just steal it back or else ask them where they got it and challenge them outright. (If it's a phone, I call my number from a landline and see if his phone rings.)

3) A friend is depressed about her life, she is concerned that she is nearing 30 and has no qualifications other than a high school diploma and no career and no family. She had just broken up with her long time boyfriend. What do you do?

Age 20: Stare stupidly, try to say something positive, disappear as soon as possible, hope she gets better, say a prayer for her.

Age 40: Take her out to do something fun, just her and me; follow her cue as to what she needs (listening ear, strong shoulder, big hug, a box of tissues?) but keep trying to have a good time; then help her review her life and figure out where to go next.

4) You are an atheist. Your significant other, until recently, was one as well, but has recently become enthusiastic about x religion and wants to convert. She/He wants you to convert also, and threatens to leave if you don't. What do you do?

Age 20: Build resentment inside, let him bully me, try to go to the religious stuff to "give it a fair shake," then if my feelings don't change, just avoid him as much as possible, flip out and scream at him and move out in a tizzy and never talk about it or to him for years after.

Age 40: Ask him why he converted and try to honestly understand his thinking, maybe attend a service with him to try to understand, tell him how I feel about religion and why I will or will not convert, and then decide whether things need to end or not. If he threatens to leave me for not converting and means it, I end things calmly and leave... and cry after we split, but just because I'm sad. (Just one more person I lost to religion, it sucks but that's just life. I'll rebuild.)

5) Your teenage son is arrested for dealing narcotics. He says he is innocent, but you have seen the evidence in his room and know he is lying. He wants you to bail him out; if you don't, he'll go to jail for 6 months and have a criminal record attached to his name. What do you do?

Age 20: Ignore the whole situation and hope it goes away; or just do what he wants so he won't hate me.

Age 40: It depends on the specifics, the drugs, and his attitude. If he is giving me a lot of anti-authoritarian prideful crap, then I have to let him stew in jail for awhile and get a record despite how much it hurts me to think of; if he is just scared but honestly wants to improve on his own, then I will do what I can to keep him out of jail and help him.

Bonus behavior:

Age 20: Hide alone in my room.

Age 40: Have a girlfriend over, buy some really junky ice cream, and watch fun movies on TV, accepting that life is complicated and sometimes painful but worth living.

 

[Trebuchet]

1. Try to observe as many details about the snatcher as possible, and give the description to the victim or mall security.

2. Wait until it is unguarded, then look at the device to see if it is mine. Probably it isn't. My friends don't steal. If it is mine, though, demand it back.

3. Sit quietly and listen. You can't solve other people's problems. You can only be supportive while they solve the problems themselves. If asked, I'd write a letter of recommendation, help create a resume (which I used to do for a living), or brainstorm ideas. But only if asked.

4. I'm a Unitarian Universalist atheist. I'm compatible with other religions. But I am not compatible with ultimatums, so I guess it's bye-bye.

5. Dealing narcotics?!? If I have seen the evidence, why didn't I act before? As for bailing him out, of course I would if the judge set bail. But that has nothing to do with his criminal record, which will be determined when his case is heard. From there, whatever happens, you rebuild as best you can. You certainly don't abandon family.

 

[Puffy]

1. Try my best to catch the guy who stole it. a) In my mind most thieves are cowards b) its a crowded mall he is unlikely to resist if he is caught his priority would be to run not to stab.
If it was a dark alleyway then that would be different.

2. Find a way to access it, if its mine take it back he won't have a credible argument afterall.

3. Do what any friend does listen, give s shoulder to cry on, give if any suggestions (if wanted) etc.

4. Find out what the religion is about, if it conflicts with my thinking and they still want me to convert then leave them.

5. In most scenarios i'd bail them out, but it would depend on my finanacial situation of course Being bailed out doesn't remove the criminal record which is punishment enough for a young person.

What is your view Transformers?

 

[Inappropriate Behavior]

Picture these scenarios, and imagine how you might respond to them:

1) You're at the mall and see a woman have her bag snatched by a random stranger. The stranger runs off with the bag, the woman shrieks for someone to get him. What do you do?

2) Your ipod/laptop/phone goes missing, and you see a friend at work/school using one that looks exactly like it the next day. You're almost positive it is yours. What do you do?

3) A friend is depressed about her life, she is concerned that she is nearing 30 and has no qualifications other than a high school diploma and no career and no family. She had just broken up with her long time boyfriend. What do you do?

4) You are an atheist. Your significant other, until recently, was one as well, but has recently become enthusiastic about x religion and wants to convert. She/He wants you to convert also, and threatens to leave if you don't. What do you do?

5) Your teenage son is arrested for dealing narcotics. He says he is innocent, but you have seen the evidence in his room and know he is lying. He wants you to bail him out; if you don't, he'll go to jail for 6 months and have a criminal record attached to his name. What do you do?

I'll be interested to hear your replies.

1. I'm not chasing anyone. However if the guy's escape route is in my direction, I'll lower my shoulder and put him into a wall (better yet, through the glass display of a storefront). I'm a big guy who played linebacker in college plus I've been in a similar situation and I knocked the guy down.

2. ipod, don't have one. Laptop, I'd have my initials scratched into it for starters, then I would go up to the person and say "hey, I think you picked up my computer by mistake" and proceed to point out my initials. If he tries to resist.....punishment must be administered. Phone, call the number to see if it rings then confront the person.

3. The best consoling doesn't come from offerering advice or saying 'there there'. The best consoling is often to just listen. Really listen, don't just nod your head and say uh-huh every other minute. If I don't have time, I guess I'd pass her off to someone who can be there for her.

4. I'd refuse to convert and make her go through with her threat.

5. Depends on the drug. If it's weed I'd bail him out and pay for the attorney to represent him in court. If it's meth I'd let him stay in jail and hope in teaches him a lesson even though it probably won't. I'd begin emotionally distancing myself as best I can so that I don't break down over it.

 

[ckm]

1) You're at the mall and see a woman have her bag snatched by a random stranger. The stranger runs off with the bag, the woman shrieks for someone to get him. What do you do?

Watch. It's all I ever do.

2) Your ipod/laptop/phone goes missing, and you see a friend at work/school using one that looks exactly like it the next day. You're almost positive it is yours. What do you do?

I would run things through my head again and again. I would be held back by the fear of my friend humiliating me. Eventually I would probably approach him/her and ask if I could look at it, then check for something that I recognise.

3) A friend is depressed about her life, she is concerned that she is nearing 30 and has no qualifications other than a high school diploma and no career and no family. She had just broken up with her long time boyfriend. What do you do?

I would probably try to help her see that depression is not negative, just that it seems so. She only feels the way she feels because everyone else tells her that that's what you need. However I would not over exert myself because 1) I'm lazy 2) I fail to empathise properly (if I do it goes to an extreme and I would mistake her feelings for my own, in which case I would probably project her situation on to my life and get depressed too).

4) You are an atheist. Your significant other, until recently, was one as well, but has recently become enthusiastic about x religion and wants to convert. She/He wants you to convert also, and threatens to leave if you don't. What do you do?

I don't impose my beliefs on anyone, and it would deeply upset me if someone I trusted and cared for tried to do that to me. My feeling would probably fade and I'd let her leave me. I don't think I'd do the dumping though.

5) Your teenage son is arrested for dealing narcotics. He says he is innocent, but you have seen the evidence in his room and know he is lying. He wants you to bail him out; if you don't, he'll go to jail for 6 months and have a criminal record attached to his name. What do you do?

That would probably depend on our relationship, but I think I would struggle with anger. If I didn't take it out on him I would turn it on myself and start the cycle of self-blame. If I could afford it, I'd bail him out and try to send him to a psychotherapist.

 

[Ashenstar]

1) Observe. If I was feeling particularly nice I would secretly wish for someone else to help her.

2. Eye it casually and make some remarks. "oh hey.. did you get a new ipod? Oh I see..... when did you get it? Huh very cool. May I look at it? Oh wow.... your music selection is VERY similar to mine...... etc etc"

3) Depends, if this was just a friend.. then... I would feign some sympathy and try and find something standard to say. If it was actually someone I care about I would... still try and find something standard to say and offer up random things that may make them feel better.Cupcakes anyone? Really it depends on the person and what they are wanting from me I guess. If they are wanting advice I would tell them straight up to do something with their life etc. If they just want someone to listen and nod yes occasionally.. then I would do that.

4. Try very hard to reason with the person that we do not have to follow the same religious/spiritual path to be together successfully. If they could not understand reason (my reasoning that is), then I would let them leave. Who am I to hinder someone's spiritual journey?

5) "we don't need no water let the mother fucker burn.... burn mother fucker... burn"

 

[echoplex]

1) You're at the mall and see a woman have her bag snatched by a random stranger. The stranger runs off with the bag, the woman shrieks for someone to get him. What do you do?

I would ask her if she knows where the nearest mall security guard is. If she doesn't and I do, I'll tell her. If she's unable to get to one (she may be too old to get around well) I'll alert one. It's their job, that's what they're there for. Chasing the thief would be stupid unless he was coming my way, in which case I'd trip him and laugh. Then I'd get the hell out of the mall ASAP, because I hate malls, especially those with assholes running around, which is pretty much all of them. I would then ask myself what the fuck I was doing in a mall.

2) Your ipod/laptop/phone goes missing, and you see a friend at work/school using one that looks exactly like it the next day. You're almost positive it is yours. What do you do?

Explain my situation and my reasoning for being so sure it's mine. If that doesn't work, I'll plot a way to take it back. I'll then tell them I was going to get them an iPod/etc. for their birthday but that they blew it and that I'll no longer pretend to like them like I was doing before.

3) A friend is depressed about her life, she is concerned that she is nearing 30 and has no qualifications other than a high school diploma and no career and no family. She had just broken up with her long time boyfriend. What do you do?

I would first just listen and let her vent, unless I don't have time. If I thought she was suicidal, I would find time or get someone more helpful to talk to her. I might suggest something fun/uplifting she/we could do. I would also tell her to consider herself lucky that: She has no kids, she's single, 30 is the new 20...or something like that. Also, everyone is a loser so join the club, you're not the only sad person, did you ever consider I might be sad too? (heh, only if I'm in a bad mood)

4) You are an atheist. Your significant other, until recently, was one as well, but has recently become enthusiastic about x religion and wants to convert. She/He wants you to convert also, and threatens to leave if you don't. What do you do?

Good. I just found out she's not the one for me. I'm glad she made that revelation so easy for me. (for a jolly, I might pretend to convert, but in a sarcastic, satrical way that would gradually become obvious to her. If the relationship's ending, I deserve to laugh dammit!)

5) Your teenage son is arrested for dealing narcotics. He says he is innocent, but you have seen the evidence in his room and know he is lying. He wants you to bail him out; if you don't, he'll go to jail for 6 months and have a criminal record attached to his name. What do you do?

Bail him out. Jail time and whatnot would seem trivial to me for something so minor. Yes, it's a stupid thing to be involved in, and the kid is stupid for doing it, and I would kick myself for raising someone to be so stupid. However, lots of stupid products are sold legally everyday. If someone wants to get high on something, they're probably going to find a supplier.

 

[al.uminum]

1. This was really the only one where I had no idea what I would do. I doubt I would notice the theft of the bag if other mall-goers did not.

2. Like so many others here, my initial reaction would be to find some subtle way to inspect the device for something that would prove it was mine.

3. I would probably listen and offer my condolences on the break up. If solicited, the best "advice" I would really give would be a reminder that she has found her current lifestyle desirable for some time. I am assuming, of course, that her decisions to not marry or attend college were, in fact, decisions.

4. Being an atheist would be incredibly difficult for me, given that I am extremely agnostic. The previous atheist's conversion would be of interest to me, but not significant enough to force me to adopt any religion. I would initially assume their ultimatum was given "in the moment." If they continued to attempt to force any conversion on me, I would break off the relationship.

5. I would give him the option to compensate me for his bail or go to jail. He could continue with his drug dealing if he so pleased, but I would not take responsibility for his crime or punishment.

 

[Adymus]

1. Stand there, consider their distance, velocity, and physical build. Then think to myself "Fuck it." and walk away.

2. Start up a conversation with them, asking questions like "Hey what are you listening to?" "I haven't seen you with that Ipod before, did you just buy it?" "That's funny, it doesn't look new." Basically trying to get them to either fold and tell me that they just found it, or see how well they respond to the questions to see if they are either making it up on the spot or telling the truth.

3. Ask her if she has any other passions that she has ever wanted to pursue, and tell her that it is never too late for a change. As for the boyfriend, leaving him was probably the better option than staying with him in a relationship that was going no where. Pretty much "Don't look at this as a dead end, but a chance for a new beginning" sort of thing.

4. Let her go, I don't date Zealots.

5. Bail him out (Assuming I can afford it), it's a damn stupid thing to get arrested for, but going to jail over a problem that can be solved so easily is just not worth it. Jail time and a criminal record would just fuck up his life even more, and he would have more of a reason to go back to drug dealing afterward.
I would make sure he understands that this is his one chance for redemption, if he fucks up again, he will have to face the consequences.

 

[Andrew18651]

1. I run after the guy, kick his ass, take the purse, and then run off with it myself. Once I get to my car I go inside and drive a couple miles away to a parking lot. Once I feel safe, I search the purse/bag for valuables. After I have gotten the valuables I throw the purse in the nearest river.

2. I ask the friend about the item and sort of imply that I know they took it from me, look at their reaction, and then take it from there.

3. I would explain to her that life isn't all about money, careers, etc. And I would also remind her of the wonderful friends she has in her life, like me! Also, since I'm a guy, I would key in on the opprotunity and say that, " I'm here for you."

4. I wouldn't marry someone who was the type of person that'd force me to convert or else. So that's out of the realm of possibility. But if it did happen I would thouroughly explain that I'm ok with her beleifs but that I was sticking with my own no matter what.

5. Well, since I myself dealt drugs a little as a teenager I would bail him out of jail but I would punish him approproately. However, I'd have a talk with him about my own experiances and why It's a really bad idea and WHY he shouldn't do it. Of course the external laws themselves hold no actual bearing on me personaly, so the fact that something is against the law ( in itself) isn't a good reason to not do something for me.

 

[Ex-User (979)]

1) I would probably chase him down. this surprises me

2) I would ask if they took my item and check there facial expressions to see if they are lying. also I would check the settings / and things like songs on it / addresses on it if they denied taking it.

3) If i liked the person enough to qualify them as my friend I would find something that they would consider an accomplishment and say something about that.

4) learn about the religion and make my choice according to my findings.

5) make him spend the time in jail because he needs to pay for his actions.

also I am curious, are these random scenarios or are they personal experiences.

 

[nemo]

1) You're at the mall and see a woman have her bag snatched by a random stranger. The stranger runs off with the bag, the woman shrieks for someone to get him. What do you do?
Watch, see if the person seems scary. If they do, I'll just remind myself yet again to sign up for karate or aikido classes so I can help in these situations in the future. If they don't, I just might chase them. Or just throw my handbag at them and hope that it hits. Wait, that'd be quite stupid, they'd pick it up and keep running, AND I'd lose my valuables...

2) Your ipod/laptop/phone goes missing, and you see a friend at work/school using one that looks exactly like it the next day. You're almost positive it is yours. What do you do?
Ask them about it. If they come up with a satisfactory answer I'll just drop it. Even if there's still a nagging suspicion deep down. >.>

3) A friend is depressed about her life, she is concerned that she is nearing 30 and has no qualifications other than a high school diploma and no career and no family. She had just broken up with her long time boyfriend. What do you do?
Comfort her best as I can for a while. When she's a little better, I'll slap her and say, it's your life; you can choose to turn it around into something better, or mope back into your depression. Probably not the best help I could give... I'd feel quite guilty if they committed suicide some time later.

4) You are an atheist. Your significant other, until recently, was one as well, but has recently become enthusiastic about x religion and wants to convert. She/He wants you to convert also, and threatens to leave if you don't. What do you do?
Tell them, you'd leave me for religion? Then pack my stuff and go far away.

5) Your teenage son is arrested for dealing narcotics. He says he is innocent, but you have seen the evidence in his room and know he is lying. He wants you to bail him out; if you don't, he'll go to jail for 6 months and have a criminal record attached to his name. What do you do?
Bail him out. Then punish him so bad he'll never want to do it again.

I have a question, don't know if anyone'll answer or not... Which do you value higher: the law, your morals/ethics, or neither?

 

[Trebuchet]

I have a question, don't know if anyone'll answer or not... Which do you value higher: the law, your morals/ethics, or neither?

My own values, of course. I follow the law when it doesn't conflict with my morals. Though, in truth, there are very few such conflicts, and where there are conflicts, often there isn't much I can do about them.

For example, as a Californian, I opposed Prop 8 by working a phone tree, giving money, carrying signs, etc. But I'm not gay, I'm already married, and I don't really see a way for me to violate that law now that it has passed.

I've certainly ignored regulations, on a smaller scale, when I didn't agree with them. But mostly they were minor things at the level of a school or other organizations, not an actual law.

 

[typondis]

..... Only number five has any 'ethical' component. The rest are just, 'what are you comfortable with, what do you want to do about it, what do you want in you life' stuff. And case number five....well, I don't and won't ever have children....so I can't really answer.

But let's introduce something similar: say my kid was just totally down and out in such a way that anything I said couldn't show them the world wasn't all bad, and they just wanted to leave.

I'd let 'em.

 

[sagewolf]

1: Depends on the thief-- is he between the woman and me or not, how big is he, how fit/strong does he look, how fast can he run, does he look like he has any weapons. In addition to that the crowd plays a part. In the end, if I thought my odds were good against him, I'd go after him. If not, I'd at least get a photo of him with my phone or camera.

2. My phone, iPod and laptop are all pretty unmistakable. If one of my co-workers showed up with a 3-year-old phone with the o2 logo emblazoned on it (never knew they did business in the US), a 3-gen iPod nano with a dent in the lower right corner (nice job finding the old model) or a Linux-running Asus EeePC with a giant crack in the screen, the day after I'd lost mine, I'd know, confront them, and win. And of course, as a nice little punishment for stealing it in the first place, I'd blame THEM for the dent/crack.

3. Umm... me no good talk people sad cry. *awkwardpat* Really, the less I say in that situation, the better: I'd just let them cry and unload everything to me. If I talked... no, let's just stay with the silence and the patting.

4. It would depend on the religion and how far into our lives he wanted to bring it. Generally, religion is pretty far down my list of priorities (it may not even be on there) and I wouldn't want to sunder one of what is likely the few meaningful and fulfilling relationships I'd have for the sake of something as asinine as I perceive organised religion to be. If he pushed the issue, though, and issued an ultimatum like that... fine, leave me. He's the one who broke it, so I see no reason why I should leave him the house.

5. I wouldn't let him go to jail: if he's already gotten himself into the drug scene letting him spend months in prison isn't going to solve that. It might make it worse, and in any case, turning any child of mine over to the care of the State isn't going to happen until I found my own country. He'd be paying off that bail, though, whether he had to get a job or dig into his savings, and he'd be under careful watch for quite a while. I may or may not be worried about the drugs, depending on the drug and his age. The people he would have been consorting with, though...

I have a question, don't know if anyone'll answer or not... Which do you value higher: the law, your morals/ethics, or neither?

Whichever is the more logical, efficient and effective in getting me what I need/want (in that order). Where all else is equal, though... I'll trample the sign telling me not to walk on the grass. I value the destruction of unnecessary and arbitrary laws.

 

[Chimera]

1. If the thief runs toward me, I'd make a grab for the bag or possibly trip him. If he runs the opposite direction...sorry lady, you go run after him.

2. Anything valuable of mine is marked in some way, so I'd look for the mark and then quietly confront them about it.

3. If they're a good friend of mine, I would do whatever needs to be done. Take them somewhere for a day, make them laugh, listen to them, give them a shoulder to cry on, whatever. If they're just a friend, I would just listen to them and possibly offer advice.

4. Excuse me, why am I dating/married to a person who doesn't respect my beliefs? And threats to leave me over it? Cool, see you later.

5. Bail him out, expect repayment, tell him it's a one-time thing and the next time it happens he's doing the time. Maybe he was just having a stupid period and needed a wake-up call...and if not, then I gave him a second chance, from then on it would be his conscious decision.​

 

[Madoness]

Picture these scenarios, and imagine how you might respond to them:

1) You're at the mall and see a woman have her bag snatched by a random stranger. The stranger runs off with the bag, the woman shrieks for someone to get him. What do you do?

Get that crook if I'm able to get. (I am above the average height and I have my history with sports)

2) Your ipod/laptop/phone goes missing, and you see a friend at work/school using one that looks exactly like it the next day. You're almost positive it is yours. What do you do?

Paranoia is not good for mental health.

3) A friend is depressed about her life, she is concerned that she is nearing 30 and has no qualifications other than a high school diploma and no career and no family. She had just broken up with her long time boyfriend. What do you do?

Depends.

4) You are an atheist. Your significant other, until recently, was one as well, but has recently become enthusiastic about x religion and wants to convert. She/He wants you to convert also, and threatens to leave if you don't. What do you do?

Tell a vegetarian to eat meat and be comfortable with it.

5) Your teenage son is arrested for dealing narcotics. He says he is innocent, but you have seen the evidence in his room and know he is lying. He wants you to bail him out; if you don't, he'll go to jail for 6 months and have a criminal record attached to his name. What do you do?

Bail him out.

I'll be interested to hear your replies.

 

[Jordan~]

1) Depends entirely on how I feel at that given moment. I'm not exactly at the peak of physical fitness, but in certain moods I might try to run him down, or at least chase him and alert people to his presence.

2) Gather evidence. Tell people that I think I've been stolen from. See if they've experienced something similar. Eventually, confront them.

3) Comfort her, advise her on how to improve things for herself. Be a friend.

4) Why would I ever become involved with a religious evangelist? This depends on how much I love him and what the religion is. The chances are that no gay man is going to be part of a religion that tells him our relationship is abominable.

5) Supposing I had a son, I'd bail him out. I'm no slave to the authorities.

I'll be interested to hear your replies.[/QUOTE]