Reflections on Ethics, Morals, and Social Responsibility

This past 9 weeks I have dove into the world of Ethics, Morals, and Corporate Social Responsibility. I have learned some great theories and concepts regarding ethics and morals. More importantly, I have thought more in depth about what it means to be moral and ethical in my life.

There are three take-away's from this course:

1. Ethics and Morals are not static things or ideologies. What was ethical to me as a teenager is different from how I view ethics now as a father, professional, and productive member of my community. As we grow in our experiences and values we can expect to grow in our understanding of what it means to be ethical and have a strong moral foundation. Further, others' ideas on ethics may differ from ours and require us to critically think about how they view the world of right and wrong, and why. We should all make a practice out of evaluating  or resetting our moral compasses every so often, and realign them when needed. Sure, there are certain ethical rules we should follow like don't murder, steal, or cheat others. However, we should gauge why we follow these ethical laws so we fully understand why we should not do these things. As we grow, so shall our ethics and morality.
2. Deontology or Consequentialism... which one is right? Deontologists believe that the act is weighted in ethical or moral responsibility. We don't do A, B, C because A, B, C are wrong in their nature. Consequentialists believe we don't do A, B, C because if we do we get X, Y, Z which are morally and ethically wrong. Staunch supporters of each view point hold fast to their beliefs. However, I believe both of these principle values are systems that can be used separately or in unison. I choose not to murder because taking another life without a valid cause (self defense, defense of others, war, etc) is wrong. I can also understand that if I take a life without a valid cause I deprive the victim of their right to live, their families from enjoying them, and the future they could have had. I think it is important to consider the consequences of our actions just as much as it is important to know the difference between right and wrong behavior.
3. We all need to be on a quest to be better. We should all be learning and continually examining our world around us. Evil can and has come with thunderous applause. I wonder how those who followed Hitler felt about the ethical and moral choices they were making when following his orders to commit genocide. How could so many be duped into abandoning their moral and ethical virtues? We must not allow ourselves to be persuaded into surrendering our grasp on what is right. We should all be willing to commit to self improvement, to being useful, and to being kind. It starts with what is directly in front of us. We make decisions on how we treat those we see everyday and those decisions create habits that we use to treat others' a little further removed from our immediate sphere of influence. Kindness is contagious. Ethical behavior is just as contagious. Be the example in your life and others will follow.

These past few weeks have been enlightening to say the least. Our minds are like rubber bands in the sense that the more we stretch them the less they will assume their original form. We must always be stretching ourselves. We do this by attending to our mind, body, and spirit. There is no irony in the fact that ethics and morality can be found in all three.

JP

Gun Control: What's the Answer?

Recent Tweets by astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science communicator, and other-wise pretty smart guy Neil deGrasse Tyson have shared some interesting statistical numbers on guns and death in America.

• 1.4 million Americans have died in all wars fought since 1776. 1.4 million Americans have died via household guns since 1968. 
• 400,000 Americans died in WWII. 400,000 Americans died by household firearms since 2001.
• 3,400 Americans died by terrorism since 2001. 3,400 Americans died by household firearms since five weeks ago.
• (Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) Nov 9, 2015)

These are pretty alarming numbers, no doubt about that. However, here are some additional interesting numbers:

• There were 30,057 fatal motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. in 2013, in which 32,719 deaths occurred. That averages out to about 630 deaths a week, or 3,150 over a 5 week period. (IIHS, 2015)
• 600,000+ people die each year from heart disease. almost 600,000 from cancer. 130,000 from deadly strokes. 85,000 from Alzheimer's. (CDC, 2015)

What is really alarming is when a mass shooting occurs and many innocent lives are lost at the hands of someone with a gun. Since 2006, there have been more than 200 mass killings in the U.S. (USA TODAY, 2015). There is no wondering why gun control is at the forefront of political conversations in America. Something has to change.

But, at who's expense? Gun control advocates argue that reducing the availability of guns in America will reduce gun deaths. That seams plausible, but is this probable? Has this tactic worked with illegal drugs? How many billions of dollars have been spent to eliminate drugs from our city streets? Who still thinks they couldn't go to any city, in any state and buy whatever illegal drugs they want? So, making guns illegal won't solve the problem.

Guns need ammunition to be lethal. There is talk of controlling types of ammo available for sale. I would argue that a well placed shot from a .22 could kill just as easily as a military grade 5.56mm round. This argument doesn't seem plausible.

Limiting the capacity of rounds in a magazine. This one actually made me laugh. Does anyone remember how long it took Oswald to fire off three rounds from a bolt action rifle scoring three headshots from over a few hundred yards away... at a moving target? 6 seconds, according to the Zapruder film! It can take a seasoned firearm expert half that time to eject and reload a 10 round magazine from just about any platform. Really, reducing 30 round, or "high-capacity" magazines. Nope.

We already have laws about felons and offenders not being allowed to own guns, but that is pretty hard to enforce seeing as it is illegal to search them without probable cause... and being a felon released from prison, who served their time... is NOT probable cause.

My point is, there is no real legitimate gun control that will do what is needed... reduce gun violence. Here is why... people who commit gun violence are going to find a way, just as a drug addict will find a way. The only real solution is to take full responsibility for yourself, your weapon (should you choose to carry or not), and your training. Responsible gun ownership is the only real solution for gun control in America.

I am a licensed conceal carry permit holder. I am a veteran of the military with extensive training in firearm safety. I understand fully what a firearm can do, what it is intended to do, and the risks involved with carrying a loaded weapon. I train monthly at the range. I do not consider myself an avid "gun nut". I carry everywhere I am aloud to carry. I have a plan should I ever have to use my weapon in defense. I study the laws regarding guns in my state, and I seek to learn about any changes. I teach my children the universal gun safety rules:

1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
2. Never point your weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.
3. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
4. Keep your weapon on safe until you are ready to fire.

Both my children can recite those back to you at a moment's notice.

I carry my weapon on me because there are people out there who have guns and make stupid choices. I carry my weapon at all times because there are imbalanced people with guns thinking up craziness. I carry everywhere because I cannot know the time or place I will be required to defend myself or another. I pray to God everyday I don't have to use my weapon to take a life. I thank Him at the end of each day I succeed in not using my weapon.

But, rest assured, if that day ever comes where lives are on the line and the use of deadly force is necessary... I will not hesitate a second to use my weapon. For me, I don't need a politician to decide for me what is right with my ability to defend myself. I will not get caught bringing a knife to a gun fight. In the end, I believe gun control is just another senseless argument used by politicians to divide a nation even further. I believe gun control to any real extent is futile.

You cannot stop crazy. You can only prepare for it.

It is better to have a gun and not need one, than to need a gun and not have one.

JP

Ethics and Behaviors

"Every choice has a consequence" ~ Chuck Gallagher

Ethics sometimes can seem like a very big word. Google ethics and you will find over 151 million pages of content on ethical decision-making, ethical theories, business ethics, ethics vs. morals, etc. The truth is, ethics are found in just about every decision we make. We are presented with choices, the choices have different and varying results, and those results will have different consequences. One choice may be better than the other. The weight we place on good/bad, right/wrong, better/worse comprises our ethical barometer.

I once heard a sermon in church from a pastor talking about winning the lottery. That would be pretty nice, right? To go from just making it to a multimillionaire with one drawing would make all our problems go away, right? How many of us have prayed to win the lottery? Really, what would you do if your won 100 million overnight?

USA Today suggests almost 70% of lottery winners go broke in a matter of years after winning large amounts (Ogg, 2013). Most people who fully understand the values of investing, saving, and working a plan to become independently wealthy (or rich, there is a difference) do not play the lottery. Those of us living paycheck to paycheck comprise the bulk of $1 investors. The pastor's point was that God will not reward those who can't manage small amounts of income with millions because we have proven to be less than adequate stewards of our money. If we don't make good decisions with our 50K a year, would it stand to reason we probably wouldn't make good decisions with 500K a year?

The conversation about lottery winners and ethics are closely tied together in this sense... The foundations of our ethical choices in small decisions will establish habits that will be ethical with big decisions. For example, let's say it is easy to cheat a little on the expense report at work and charge a few non-business dinners to the corporate card. No biggie, right? Everybody does it, right? If you make a habit out of cutting the small corners, how could you guarantee you wouldn't take the bait if the chance at scamming millions (or billions) from investors? Do you think Bernie Madoff woke up one day and just decided to run the largest Ponzi scheme ever conceived? Probably not. There were probably a series of unethical choices, much smaller in scale, Madoff made during his life that led him to the point of breaking the law, scamming billions from pension and hedge funds, and landing him in prison for 150 years.

Sometimes it is not the end result that matters most. Most of the time it is the journey, or steps we take to get to the end results that matter. Every choice has a consequence. Make the right choices in your life... big and small. Making the right choices creates a habit of making the right choices. ONce the slippery slope begins it gets easier and easier to slide down the unethical path.

JP

Ogg, J. (2013, August 25). Twelve things not to do if you win the lottery. Retrieved December 5, 2015, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2013/08/25/what-not-to-do-lottery-winners/2696845/