A Question of Ethics

[Timo Supremo]

WildCardJack

Highest level of morality is doing whats right even if its agaisnt the law.
no one's going to arrest you for saving someone's life.

What about ending a life? I live in rural Utah where there are many mule deer and barbed wire fences, not a good combination. The deer jump fences to get to forage, but on occasion get their legs caught between the two top wires. In their panic the deer will tear up the flesh of their leg, an injury which would usually leave them crippled, were they to get out. I was once talking to a fish and game officer about a deer I had found dead in such a situation. (Actually it's leg had caught batween two rocks and the deear had entirely ripped it's foot off, then crawled about ten feet and died) Anyway, he said that if a civilian were to come upon an animal in such straits and kill it in order to end it's suffering, they would be charged with poaching. But, he added, any rightminded judge would throw the case out.  

[Shadow__Dweller]

NOCTVRNVS

I think, it's pitiful that we live in a society where there exists even the question.

Agreed. Therefore I've not got anything to say about it. sweatdrop  

[Dysdayn]

Shadow__Dweller

NOCTVRNVS

I think, it's pitiful that we live in a society where there exists even the question.

Agreed. Therefore I've not got anything to say about it. sweatdrop

Same here.  

[NOCTVRNVS]

Timo Supremo

WildCardJack

Highest level of morality is doing whats right even if its agaisnt the law.
no one's going to arrest you for saving someone's life.

What about ending a life? I live in rural Utah where there are many mule deer and barbed wire fences, not a good combination. The deer jump fences to get to forage, but on occasion get their legs caught between the two top wires. In their panic the deer will tear up the flesh of their leg, an injury which would usually leave them crippled, were they to get out. I was once talking to a fish and game officer about a deer I had found dead in such a situation. (Actually it's leg had caught batween two rocks and the deear had entirely ripped it's foot off, then crawled about ten feet and died) Anyway, he said that if a civilian were to come upon an animal in such straits and kill it in order to end it's suffering, they would be charged with poaching. But, he added, any rightminded judge would throw the case out.

Good call...

But wow, in Utah you can simultaneously converse with fish and a game-officer? That is SWEET  

[Gopher dude]

Mooshi mooshi! Domo domo!

Alright pizanoes what have we got here?

A question about helping? Eh?


I'd help. If no one was there and help didn't arrive I would help. No second thoughts (provided they arn't zombies I'm hearing moaning my instincts tell me zombies+moan/zombies=run)
If you get sued simply tell the court the truth why you helped them and your side of the story, but seriosly it's another human your brother/sister if you were hurt/injured you'd want someone to help you. A human should always go and help out there fellow human.  

[My Haitus]

Yes, I definitely stop and help. I call an ambulance, I send people to walk down each end of the road(s) and stop any coming traffic or at least warn on comers, I get people away from the wreck and away from the accident, and i believe that every other person in the world should do the same thing as well.
I would do these things because of my personal morals, my ethics. This topic is about that, personal belief.

NOCTVRNVS

I think, it's pitiful that we live in a society where there exists even the question.

Exactly.

 

[the_forgotten_thought]

well, i think that the best way to help would be to call an ambulance and wait. if the people are injured badly, moving them could only lead to them getting paralized. if a fire had started due to the crash, i would also call the fire department and wait. if the car crash didn't seem bad enough to where if i pulled someone out they wouldn't get hurt then i would try helping the ones that i could out of their cars.  

[NOCTVRNVS]

Uzu Jessie

well, i think that the best way to help would be to call an ambulance and wait. if the people are injured badly, moving them could only lead to them getting paralized...

Paralized, and alive  

[Rosenfall]

NOCTVRNVS

Uzu Jessie

well, i think that the best way to help would be to call an ambulance and wait. if the people are injured badly, moving them could only lead to them getting paralized...

Paralized, and alive

But who's to say that that is better?  

[Kalathma]

NOCTVRNVS

Paralized, and alive

I'd much rather be dead, thanks.

I wouldn't help, I don't know the people and it's not my problem and I wouldn't feel any obligation to help.

"There's some people I would be delighted to die painfully in a horrible accident because I feel they deserve it."

I agree. domokun  

[lillielove]

As has been stated, there are laws that can protect you from getting your a** sued off for helping/attempting to help a person wounded or in danger. There is no question that I would help somebody, I just couldn't watch somebody die or suffer without helping not because I'm some super ethic person that goes out of her way to assist anyone in need but because I know if I were in their position I'd want somebody to help me laws be damned.  

[Luvs2Snuggle]

in health class in most states. you learn cpr and you become liscensed in it. having your cpr card keeps you from being sue'd by the person you are trying to help. but it also requires you to help in such a situation. you can move someone away from an accident if it is an obvious danger to them. I.E. the car is on fire or could fall over on them... etc. I dont think anyone would sue you for trying to save there life. I think they would just be grateful to be alive.  

[magic_doglover]

i think that i would help, for various reasons:
1. it would be an interesting experience, and i probably wouldn't have anything better to do at the time.
2. the whole "moral obligation" thing. i am susceptible to it to some extent, after all.
3. the possibility of that the person wants/wanted to live. if that is the case, then they may be grateful, in which case you might get a reward (a practical reason to help) or get to experience a person's relief, happiness, and/or feeling of gratitude, all of which can be heartwarming, for lack of a better word (a sentimental reason to help).
4. who knows, helping to save someone's life would be a pretty significant event, and you might get that person as a friend if they match whatever qualities you like in a friend.  

[AngelBlackChaos]

Technically, if you live in America, you are protected under the good samaritan (sp) laws established for that specific event.  

[Miniar]

Instead of a "should" I decided to answer the question as if it said "would".
Help can be many-fold. I would flick open my cellphone to start with, check how many were alive, see if there is any fire and also see about putting it out if I have any means to do so, before I'd start moving people.
I would ask whoever I'd find conscious whether they are okay with me moving them, giving them the chance to say no. After all, I'm not a fan of forcing help on those that do not want it.
I don't presume to say whether or not others "should" do as I would seeing as what "I" am willing and able to do for strangers might differ from what others are willing and able to do. We all have our own limits.