Outside Reading Quarter 2: Post 3

In the book "Three Cups of Tea" Greg Mortenson needs to decide whether he will help the people of Pakistan by building them a school, or if he will stay in America with his girlfriend and settle down and have a family. Greg chose to go to Pakistan and build the school. This shows that Greg knows that it is the correct choice for him to do what is better for the greater society, in his case helping the many people in Pakistan. He could have also made this decision and known that if his girlfriend was really the right fit for him as a life partner she would share his ethical standpoint and understand his actions. While reading a bit more reveals that his girlfriend does indeed share his drive to help other people, leaving shows that he is willing to take a risk to do what he believes is right. Not only does this show that he is a sound person ethically, it shows that he is not afraid to be a whistle blower and stand up for what he believes to be right.

Mortenson is faced with a similar problem later on in the book, when the people of the village he was building a school at asked him if he could build a bridge for them. While Mortenson hadn't enjoyed sleeping in his car and living in a storage space, he knew that the people in Pakistan didn't enjoy walking through a river many times a day. Mortenson saw that he could build them a bridge, and he wanted to. He knew that it would be in the best interest of many people, and while it might not be fun for him, it was the best thing to do. Mortenson liked helping people, but also did it because he knew he would feel that if he didn't he would regret his poor decision. This steadfast loyalty to serving others is a testimony to the strength of his character ethically.

On the Waterfront

The characters in the film "On the Waterfront" are split in their beliefs regarding what makes up a whistle-blower or tattle-tale. In Edy and the priest's view, it is one's responsibility to come forth with any knowledge relating to the murder of Joey. For them, holding back knowledge makes a person just as bad as anyone that actually committed the crime. The mob on the other hand believes that since Terry and Doogan were in on the plan from the very beginning they are simply being tattle-tales by talking to the priest. They believe that since Terry and Doogan were in on the plan from the start, they had an agreement to be "D and D". The result of Terry or Doogan telling on the mob would result in the loss of their strong dock position and a gain a place in jail. Terry is stuck in the middle of this situation and has to decide whether he will condemn his brother or not. The decision for him is hard, because he knows whatever move he makes, a group of people won't be happy with him, and he needs to find out which group is more important.

I believe that a person is usually both a tattle-tale and a whistle blower in most situations, and what they have to decide is which side is appropriate to go along with. If the situation is small and doesn't negatively affect the society or anyone involved, telling people about some bad judgement I would consider being a tattle-tale. If the situation hurts others or the society than a person needs to be a whistle blower when they are tell about what is going on. I also think that a person is a tattle-tale when they fully involve themselves in the situation before stepping out and speaking to others on what is going on. If a person only is slightly involved in a situation and see corruption, they are being a whistle blower by reporting their observations. The reasons for this is a person must get out of a situation by being a whistle blower before gaining the trust of the other people involved, therefore turning yourself into a tattle-tale.

All My Sons

In the play "All My Sons" by Arthur Miller, Joe Keller decides to make decisions that benefits his family, where as Chris and Ann don't agree with that opinion. When Joe tells Steve to cover and ship the broken parts, he knowingly sent many pilots to their demise. Joe justified his action by believing it was in the best interest for the family, by maintaining the future for his son he had worked so hard to obtain. After finally admitting to knowingly shipping the bad parts, Joe shares his thoughts with Chris. While addressing Chris, Joe said, "For you, a business for you!"(70). By sending bad parts, J.O. Keller Inc. stayed in business and would provide a good living for Chris. Joe truly believed that it was his job to care for his family no matter what that meant, even the killing of others. Joe again shows how important family is to him when he states, "I owe him a good kick in the teeth, but he's your father..."(49). While this statement was partly in defense of his own actions, Joe did believe that caring for family was more important than the need of the society. Chris and Ann don't agree with him, and believe that people must do what is in the best interest of the society. Chris said, "God in heaven, what kind of a man are you? Kids were hanging in the air by those heads"(70). Chris thought that a true man would care for his society and make the right choice by not shipping the parts, and thus risking his family's wealth for the benefit of others.
I think it is important to put your family's needs in front of the needs of society on very few occasions. Usually the needs of the society are greater, and working towards a greater purpose, such as winning a war or keeping men alive. However when thinking about a situation involving a much smaller problem, it is important to put your family first. For instance if the problem involves rationing a limited item, such as wealth, or in times of need, food, your family should come first. Most of the time though the society has a greater need than your family. In general, I don't agree with doing something that kills a person for the benefit of my family, or the other way around. This question is very situational and is hard to answer without a specific case, however no matter how much we may love our families it is necessary view the situation from a by-stander's point of view and normally the decision that should be made will be to do what is best for the society.

Miller, Arthur. "All My Sons". New York: Penguin Classics, 2000.