For my last post of my collegiate career, I would like to talk about my favorite ethical philosophy. The Judeo-Christian Persons as Means philosophy is my favorite ethical practice. By definition, this philosophy states that "one should love thy neighbor as they would themselves. The reason I like this practice so much is because it is the practice that should be used everyday by every person, business, and corporation. The practice is the best because it truly is the only one of the five practices that is both ethically and morally right.
I just finished a case study over Apple and their recent crisis with their supplier Foxconn. After the evaluations were made over the audits that the Foxconn factories had to go through, Apple was appalled. The organization went up in arms and said that they would not do business with those that treat humans so poorly. Then to top it off, Apple put on its home website a supplier code of conduct that it expects all of its suppliers to follow. This case study was truly the best example of the Judeo-Christian philosophy and should be studied by all. Apple truly showed love and compassion towards its neighbors.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Marine Sergeant Discharged for Facebook Comment About Obama
Last week Sgt. Gary Stein of the United States Marine Corp was given an "other than honorable" discharge for a comment he posted on Facebook about President Obama. Stein's message on Facebook read, "Screw Obama. I will not follow all orders from him." He later remarked that he meant that he would not follow unlawful orders from the president. Stein served the country for nine years and said he no one could take the title of "Marine" away from him. Stein seemed most troubled by how just a few words ended his military career as well as affected his military benefits. His lawyer is now trying to appeal the judgment.
When one serves for the armed forces of the United States they take an oath stating that they will follow as well as respect all given orders by the Commander in Chief. However, this situation really has issues with Stein's First Amendment rights. Stein should be allowed to say whatever he wants about the president as long as it isn't life threatening. I think the major problem and why Stein was discharged was because he did not make these comments among a group of friends but instead posted it on a social media site for the entire world to see.
When one serves for the armed forces of the United States they take an oath stating that they will follow as well as respect all given orders by the Commander in Chief. However, this situation really has issues with Stein's First Amendment rights. Stein should be allowed to say whatever he wants about the president as long as it isn't life threatening. I think the major problem and why Stein was discharged was because he did not make these comments among a group of friends but instead posted it on a social media site for the entire world to see.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
New Orlean Saints: An Unethical NFL Team
Recently the New Orleans Saints were charged by the NFL Commission of giving bounties to defensive players that hurt other opposing players. The bounties were given in different amounts of bonuses with the biggest bonuses coming from taking out opposing team quarterbacks. Some allegations date back 5 years and include playoff games against quarterbacks Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals and Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts. The Saints head coach has been fined $500,000 and the defensive coordinator has been fired.
It would seem that hitting players as hard as you can would be okay in the professional sports like the NFL but it's not like the "old days." Today retired players are fighting injuries (concussions and broken bones) that in some cases have been life threatening. It's one thing to tackle a player as best as possible but not with the intent to seriously injure. The Saints have disgraced the NFL for doing what was done. In all, the organization is very unethical and it will be a long road to recovery after what they have done.
It would seem that hitting players as hard as you can would be okay in the professional sports like the NFL but it's not like the "old days." Today retired players are fighting injuries (concussions and broken bones) that in some cases have been life threatening. It's one thing to tackle a player as best as possible but not with the intent to seriously injure. The Saints have disgraced the NFL for doing what was done. In all, the organization is very unethical and it will be a long road to recovery after what they have done.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Dallas Cowboys Stabbing: Harmony Over Truth
An issue that occurred 10 years ago is re-emerging back into the public eye, but now with a new story. In 2002, at a training camp in Wichita Falls, Texas, for the Dallas Cowboys a player received a large gash in his neck and was said to have occurred because of horseplay. According to local sources and those involved in the event Offensive Lineman Everett McIver was stabbed by teammate Michael Irvin, leaving a "blood-shooting" two-inch gash in his neck. The original story given by the Dallas Cowboys and Owner Jerry Jones was, "No comment. It was an internal issue and was solved internally."
After recently hearing the truth now rising to the surface, one would ask why it wasn’t given a decade ago. Harmony over truth is the answer to this question. Irvin was a starting player and was already on probation for drug possession. If the truth would have emerged, Irvin would have been suspended for the season and could have faced serious jail time. Knowing this, Jones thought it would be a better idea to keep the issue quiet and pay off McIver rather than lose a starting player and receive bad press over the issue.
Was the issue handled correctly? No, not morally but ethically it was for the Dallas Cowboys. Although the organization covered up an actual violent crime, they were doing what was best to keep the harmony among the organization which in some cases was better than the truth.
After recently hearing the truth now rising to the surface, one would ask why it wasn’t given a decade ago. Harmony over truth is the answer to this question. Irvin was a starting player and was already on probation for drug possession. If the truth would have emerged, Irvin would have been suspended for the season and could have faced serious jail time. Knowing this, Jones thought it would be a better idea to keep the issue quiet and pay off McIver rather than lose a starting player and receive bad press over the issue.
Was the issue handled correctly? No, not morally but ethically it was for the Dallas Cowboys. Although the organization covered up an actual violent crime, they were doing what was best to keep the harmony among the organization which in some cases was better than the truth.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Eat Meat: Save the Animals
In today's society, there has been an ongoing issue over whether eating meat is the ethical thing to do. Although there are good points from both sides of the argument, eating meat is truly the best thing to do for the wildlife.
The way that society is advancing and developing in such as fast rate, it is leaving less and less available land for wildlife to live on. When land becomes scarce, so does the food that these animals eat. Now growing and managing livestock is a totally different story, but hunting and fishing for wildlife is really actually helping keep the animal wildlife population at high numbers. You see, when hunters do not hunt these animals, the populations grows but at too high of rate for the current environment to support them. With less land space and more animals, the competition for food becomes a literal life or death situation. The animals fight for the food sources so much but still receive so little because of the high numbers of competition eating the same sources. In the end, the animals become emancipated and eventually die during the winter months or of starvation and disease. Keep animals alive; eat meat!
The way that society is advancing and developing in such as fast rate, it is leaving less and less available land for wildlife to live on. When land becomes scarce, so does the food that these animals eat. Now growing and managing livestock is a totally different story, but hunting and fishing for wildlife is really actually helping keep the animal wildlife population at high numbers. You see, when hunters do not hunt these animals, the populations grows but at too high of rate for the current environment to support them. With less land space and more animals, the competition for food becomes a literal life or death situation. The animals fight for the food sources so much but still receive so little because of the high numbers of competition eating the same sources. In the end, the animals become emancipated and eventually die during the winter months or of starvation and disease. Keep animals alive; eat meat!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Against the Law to Talk About the Bible Publicly?
A California reverend was arrested last year for reading the Bible out loud in front of a DMV building. The charge was that he was intimidating the public (those waiting to get inside the DMV) by making them listen to God's word. The case has now become part of public concern because of the media and that the case is now in trial.
Reverend Mark Mackey of the conservative Christian church, Calvary Chapel Hemet, said all he was doing was using his First Amendment right of freedom of speech in a public place. He went on to say, “You can talk about anything you want, but you can’t talk about the Bible.”
The reason he was arrested, was that he was forcing and intimidating those waiting to get inside of the not yet opened DMV, said constitutional attorney Dan Conaway. He went on by saying that he was creating an intimidating situation for those just wanting to renew their driver's license.
However, what has this great nation come to that now our First Amendment laws are being violated more and more with regards to freedom of speech. This right is protected and should be respected by law enforcement. The DMV was not even open for business yet so they had no right to arrest him in the first place. If Mackey would have been preaching or ranting about anything else, most likely nothing would have happened to him. But since he was speaking about God and the Bible, he was treated as a criminal and arrested for his beliefs. I hope this wakes up the people of America and for them to start fighting for the rights that this country was born on and stop letting those rights slowly slip away.
Reverend Mark Mackey of the conservative Christian church, Calvary Chapel Hemet, said all he was doing was using his First Amendment right of freedom of speech in a public place. He went on to say, “You can talk about anything you want, but you can’t talk about the Bible.”
The reason he was arrested, was that he was forcing and intimidating those waiting to get inside of the not yet opened DMV, said constitutional attorney Dan Conaway. He went on by saying that he was creating an intimidating situation for those just wanting to renew their driver's license.
However, what has this great nation come to that now our First Amendment laws are being violated more and more with regards to freedom of speech. This right is protected and should be respected by law enforcement. The DMV was not even open for business yet so they had no right to arrest him in the first place. If Mackey would have been preaching or ranting about anything else, most likely nothing would have happened to him. But since he was speaking about God and the Bible, he was treated as a criminal and arrested for his beliefs. I hope this wakes up the people of America and for them to start fighting for the rights that this country was born on and stop letting those rights slowly slip away.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Human Hotspots Acceptable?
A marketing program aimed at both bettering the 4g Wi-Fi service in Austin, TX, along with helping out the homeless at the same time went into effect this past weekend. It is one of the most unethical things ever done to humans and should be stopped.
What happened was that a global marketing agency, BBH, gave about 13 people Wi-Fi devices as well as t-shirts stating their name and that they were 4g hotspots. Each homeless person was paid $20 upfront and then $50 for every six hours of promotion. It has brought many controversial issues among different organizations including several human rights organizations. The term most used by these organizations is "exploitive." This marketing company has taken human beings and turned them into electronics.
I absolutely agree that this is beyond the morals and values that this country was built on. These humans, homeless or not, should not be treated in the way that this company is treating them. Although they are being paid for their time and promotion, it is unethical. If homeless people are being turned into electronic devices, then what is next? Human computer chips?
What happened was that a global marketing agency, BBH, gave about 13 people Wi-Fi devices as well as t-shirts stating their name and that they were 4g hotspots. Each homeless person was paid $20 upfront and then $50 for every six hours of promotion. It has brought many controversial issues among different organizations including several human rights organizations. The term most used by these organizations is "exploitive." This marketing company has taken human beings and turned them into electronics.
I absolutely agree that this is beyond the morals and values that this country was built on. These humans, homeless or not, should not be treated in the way that this company is treating them. Although they are being paid for their time and promotion, it is unethical. If homeless people are being turned into electronic devices, then what is next? Human computer chips?
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Political Junk Text Messaging Scandal
In the recent election it seems that Americans are connected in every way possible through the media and social networking sites. But when is it too much?
Republican voters living in Michigan have been swindled in buying political junk test messages on their phones. The ones receiving these messages start off with a short message attacking another candidate. The voters then are given a number to text to get more details on the situation. Without even telling the voters, every time one texts the number that they are given, they end up getting charged for each individual text message. At 10 to 25 cents per message it might not seem like a lot, but the messages are too long to send in one message so multiple ones are being sent. Some of these voters have been charged substantial amounts.
In my opinion I think that the government should step in and do something about it. As of now, it is protected under the First Amendment of free speech. However, since the voters are not being notified of the costs of these messages, it is also like deceptive advertising. Who would have thought that after all of the laws the United States and the government run SEC have put into place that government officials would be breaking these advertising laws?
Republican voters living in Michigan have been swindled in buying political junk test messages on their phones. The ones receiving these messages start off with a short message attacking another candidate. The voters then are given a number to text to get more details on the situation. Without even telling the voters, every time one texts the number that they are given, they end up getting charged for each individual text message. At 10 to 25 cents per message it might not seem like a lot, but the messages are too long to send in one message so multiple ones are being sent. Some of these voters have been charged substantial amounts.
In my opinion I think that the government should step in and do something about it. As of now, it is protected under the First Amendment of free speech. However, since the voters are not being notified of the costs of these messages, it is also like deceptive advertising. Who would have thought that after all of the laws the United States and the government run SEC have put into place that government officials would be breaking these advertising laws?
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Social Media Ethics
Here recently, two girls living in Gainesville, Florida, put a racist video on YouTube where they expressed their opinions on different races. Within the day of the posting, the girls were sent multiple death threats and were expelled from school. These girls are just another example of how to be smart on social media sites.
In today's hyper-connected society, one cannot just express their First Amendment rights by putting them on social media sites. It is not the same as just saying something out loud to friends. When someone posts expressions on the internet, the expressions go out to the entire world. It may seem funny to the person doing it and to those who share similar opinions, but one must remember that those who don't share the same opinions see the postings as well.
I think we all need a lesson on what we should and should not be publishing on the internet. You never know who will see what you post and you never know how that posting can affect you.
In today's hyper-connected society, one cannot just express their First Amendment rights by putting them on social media sites. It is not the same as just saying something out loud to friends. When someone posts expressions on the internet, the expressions go out to the entire world. It may seem funny to the person doing it and to those who share similar opinions, but one must remember that those who don't share the same opinions see the postings as well.
I think we all need a lesson on what we should and should not be publishing on the internet. You never know who will see what you post and you never know how that posting can affect you.
2011 NFL Lockout Ended for Greater Good
The NFL lockout of 2011 began on March 21 and stopped on July 25. This lockout was over a collective bargaining agreement between the NFLPA (players' union) and the owners of the 32 teams. Both sides wanted different things with regards to salary caps, insurance, length of season, free agent issues, and minim salaries and contracts. In the end the players got most of what they wanted with regards to the above mentioned issues.
The lockout was did not just involve the players and the coaches, it also involved the fans. The fans are what drive sales for this industry and without them there would be no profit to be made. With knowing that losing the fans would mean losing the profits, it meant that the lockout had to be ended. It was for the greatest good for the greatest number of people (the players and the fans). This refers to the theory of the "utilitarianism" which is defined as the greatest good must be done for the greatest number of people that can be affected. Although the owners were truly the only ones somewhat upset about the new agreement, they at least got a season to make profits.
The lockout was did not just involve the players and the coaches, it also involved the fans. The fans are what drive sales for this industry and without them there would be no profit to be made. With knowing that losing the fans would mean losing the profits, it meant that the lockout had to be ended. It was for the greatest good for the greatest number of people (the players and the fans). This refers to the theory of the "utilitarianism" which is defined as the greatest good must be done for the greatest number of people that can be affected. Although the owners were truly the only ones somewhat upset about the new agreement, they at least got a season to make profits.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Where Are The Crime Fighters
Last week TCU witnessed its biggest drug bust in its history. There were 18 total students arrested including four football players, three fraternities, and one sorority involved. This was part of a six month investigation involving both the Fort Worth and TCU police departments.
Although this seemed to be a huge drug bust on any college campus, all of the drug transactions that took place involved sales of no more than $600. When it comes down to it, it's ridiculous to have made it so news worthy that one would think that the Mexican Drug Cartel was involved. I believe that the police departments were more interested in publicity than actually "stopping crime."
That brings me to the point of my posting today. What has been going on this academic year that both police departments should be more focused on is that of sexual assaults, assaults, robbery and burglary. In a one week span in late August, 2011, two sexual assaults and an attempted assault were reported on and around the campus. Although there are no published articles available to the public, TCU has had four incidents this semester of the stated above problems, three of which happened within a five day period. My question is where are the police that are supposed to be protecting these students? Oh yeah I forgot, most of them are trying to catch people selling the "life threatening" marijuana dealers.
Although this seemed to be a huge drug bust on any college campus, all of the drug transactions that took place involved sales of no more than $600. When it comes down to it, it's ridiculous to have made it so news worthy that one would think that the Mexican Drug Cartel was involved. I believe that the police departments were more interested in publicity than actually "stopping crime."
That brings me to the point of my posting today. What has been going on this academic year that both police departments should be more focused on is that of sexual assaults, assaults, robbery and burglary. In a one week span in late August, 2011, two sexual assaults and an attempted assault were reported on and around the campus. Although there are no published articles available to the public, TCU has had four incidents this semester of the stated above problems, three of which happened within a five day period. My question is where are the police that are supposed to be protecting these students? Oh yeah I forgot, most of them are trying to catch people selling the "life threatening" marijuana dealers.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Nolan Ryan: A Man of Moral Values
On July 7, 2011, Shannon Stone fell to his death from bleachers of the Texas Rangers' ballpark. He was at the game with his six-year-old son, Cooper, when the accident happened. It was a very sad day in baseball.
Nolan Ryan, the owner of the Texas Rangers, began immediately dealing with the situation and the Stone family. Ryan showed what a true apology takes when something this dramatic takes part inside your organization's place of business. He first off stopped all local news stations from showing the fall and showed how truly sorry he was for the Stone family. Second he, along with his family members attended Shannon Stone's funeral. The third and final thing he did really showed how great of a guy he was. Ryan let Cooper throw out the first pitch in the playoff opener for the Rangers to his favorite player, Josh Hamilton.
Ryan, along with all of the Rangers showed what it really takes for a corporate apology to be successful. He asked for forgiveness and took full responsibility. These are two things that are very important to do with regards to a corporate apology. Organizations around the country could really benefit by acting the way Ryan did. Hopefully this will be a lesson to all.
Nolan Ryan, the owner of the Texas Rangers, began immediately dealing with the situation and the Stone family. Ryan showed what a true apology takes when something this dramatic takes part inside your organization's place of business. He first off stopped all local news stations from showing the fall and showed how truly sorry he was for the Stone family. Second he, along with his family members attended Shannon Stone's funeral. The third and final thing he did really showed how great of a guy he was. Ryan let Cooper throw out the first pitch in the playoff opener for the Rangers to his favorite player, Josh Hamilton.
Ryan, along with all of the Rangers showed what it really takes for a corporate apology to be successful. He asked for forgiveness and took full responsibility. These are two things that are very important to do with regards to a corporate apology. Organizations around the country could really benefit by acting the way Ryan did. Hopefully this will be a lesson to all.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Taking It too Far With Hamiltion?
Last Monday night Ranger superstar, Josh Hamilton, had an alcohol relapse. Sources say that the relapse was over a fight that he had with a relative. If only the relapse was the worst part of the story.
Pictures of Hamilton doing obscene things at the bar with women involving taking shots off of their chests have already been distributed by local news services. Another source, which is anonymous, has stated that he has a seven second video of Hamilton having sex in the men's bathroom of the bar he was drinking at on Monday. The source has offered the tape to several news stations in the DFW area for $41,000. As of now, all of the stations have refused to buy it. The question is, should they?
Some would say yes that it is newsworthy considering who Hamilton is and how he has had alcohol problems before. However, this is not something that should be shown on news stations or anywhere else for that matter. Under the PRSA code of ethics, journalists should protect confidential and private information. Yes, Hamilton is a nationally known celebrity, but this is a private matter that could devastate a man who has tried hard to change his life around. Showing this video (even if it isn't true) could be the end of Hamilton publically and personally.
Pictures of Hamilton doing obscene things at the bar with women involving taking shots off of their chests have already been distributed by local news services. Another source, which is anonymous, has stated that he has a seven second video of Hamilton having sex in the men's bathroom of the bar he was drinking at on Monday. The source has offered the tape to several news stations in the DFW area for $41,000. As of now, all of the stations have refused to buy it. The question is, should they?
Some would say yes that it is newsworthy considering who Hamilton is and how he has had alcohol problems before. However, this is not something that should be shown on news stations or anywhere else for that matter. Under the PRSA code of ethics, journalists should protect confidential and private information. Yes, Hamilton is a nationally known celebrity, but this is a private matter that could devastate a man who has tried hard to change his life around. Showing this video (even if it isn't true) could be the end of Hamilton publically and personally.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Right or Wrong for Greater Good
After reading the five ethical guidelines in the book Media Ethics: Cases and Moral Reasons 9th Edition, I was really caught on the third guideline involving Mill's Principle of Utility. John Stuart Mill was a 17th Century British philosopher who said, "Humans should seek the greatest happiness for the aggregate whole." This concept is known as utilitarianism and has two different types: act and principle. Act utilitarianism involoves asking the basic question of what the greatest good could be in a specific case. Principle utilitarianism, the one that Mill's follows, focuses more on the greatest general welfare.
In a recent article in the TCU Daily Skiff, a female TCU student made the front page of the newspaper. The reason for making the paper was that she was charged with a DWI after striking a tree on the university's campus. Not only was half of the front page devoted to this story, but her name was released in the article along with a mugshot on the paper's website "TCU 360."
Was the Skiff right in posting this article? Well yes and no. The Skiff was right to report the accident since it did occur on campus but there was no need to release the name of the student who was involved. Journailists always have the duty to report the news to the public but in some cases, just like this one, some journalists take it past the ethical limits. What greater good was served after releasing both the name and the mugshot of this student? I think Mill's would agree that nothing good became of this with regards to the greater good.
In a recent article in the TCU Daily Skiff, a female TCU student made the front page of the newspaper. The reason for making the paper was that she was charged with a DWI after striking a tree on the university's campus. Not only was half of the front page devoted to this story, but her name was released in the article along with a mugshot on the paper's website "TCU 360."
Was the Skiff right in posting this article? Well yes and no. The Skiff was right to report the accident since it did occur on campus but there was no need to release the name of the student who was involved. Journailists always have the duty to report the news to the public but in some cases, just like this one, some journalists take it past the ethical limits. What greater good was served after releasing both the name and the mugshot of this student? I think Mill's would agree that nothing good became of this with regards to the greater good.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Stopping the Addiction with the Addiction
In a recent YouTube video of William Powers speaking to a book critic about his novel "Hamlet's Blackberry," Powers says that he has sold more eBooks of his copy than hard copies in print. He then goes on to say that he believes the reason that the percentage of copies bought as eBooks is so much higher than hard copies, because most of his readers are so connected to the "screen copies" that it's the only way they feel comfortable reading it. The man he is speaking with goes as far as referring to these people as "addicts."
After watching the video, what really stuck in my mind was when the term addicts came into play. The first thing I thought of was drug addiction and its addicts. I thought back to a show I watched recently over drug addiction and how rehab helps them with overcoming the addiction to the drug. One way, is that in some cases the rehabilitation center will actually give a very small dose of the drug so that the addict's body doesn't go into complete shock after giving up the dependency for the drug.
Is this what it has come to with the addiction to the internet and mobile devices or just online devices in general? That we have to stop our addiction with our addiction by getting it in smaller doses just like how "Hamlet's Blackberry" is offered online as an eBook. It seems that as humans we may be in over our heads with this being one of the largest addiction outbreaks in human history.
After watching the video, what really stuck in my mind was when the term addicts came into play. The first thing I thought of was drug addiction and its addicts. I thought back to a show I watched recently over drug addiction and how rehab helps them with overcoming the addiction to the drug. One way, is that in some cases the rehabilitation center will actually give a very small dose of the drug so that the addict's body doesn't go into complete shock after giving up the dependency for the drug.
Is this what it has come to with the addiction to the internet and mobile devices or just online devices in general? That we have to stop our addiction with our addiction by getting it in smaller doses just like how "Hamlet's Blackberry" is offered online as an eBook. It seems that as humans we may be in over our heads with this being one of the largest addiction outbreaks in human history.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Time for a Slowdown
After reading "The Joy of Quiet," by Pico Iyer it made me really think about how as indivuiduals we have gone from loving the fast-paced world of receiving information to unconciously hating it. The article dicusses what people need to do in order to be able to keep sane in this second-by-second world. Without knowing, people are taking in enourmous amounts of information in a day with spending only seconds on each piece. Not only is the information being processed too quickly, but also with distrations while processing it (i.e. e-mails, text messages).
One way to help people with processing more with less is a new device called Freedom. This device allows for a user to turn off their internet service for hours at a time. According to Iyer, having this freedom to relax helps the overall achievement with processing the information that one takes in. Another technique is visiting a "Black Hole Resort." This type of resort allows a person to come stay at the resort and leave all of the technolgy behind. There is no service for cell phones or the internet and it allows for complete "stillness," as Iyer states. For mankind to slow down before it's too fast for its own good, everyone would benefit from one of these two new relaxing techniques.
One way to help people with processing more with less is a new device called Freedom. This device allows for a user to turn off their internet service for hours at a time. According to Iyer, having this freedom to relax helps the overall achievement with processing the information that one takes in. Another technique is visiting a "Black Hole Resort." This type of resort allows a person to come stay at the resort and leave all of the technolgy behind. There is no service for cell phones or the internet and it allows for complete "stillness," as Iyer states. For mankind to slow down before it's too fast for its own good, everyone would benefit from one of these two new relaxing techniques.
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