Archive for the ‘Ethics-general’ Category
November 22, 2011
The video is chilling: a police officer walking along a line of students seated with arms linked, spraying them with pepper spray like one would spray a windowsill for mosquitoes. But these were people, huddling, screaming, non-threatening.
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray (from “Oleoresin Capsicum”), OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent (a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness) that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defence, including defence against dogs and bears.[1] [2] Its inflammatory effects cause the eyes to close, taking away vision. This temporary blindness allows officers to more easily restrain subjects and permits persons using pepper spray for self-defense an opportunity to escape.
Although considered a less-than-lethal agent, it may be deadly in rare cases, and concerns have been raised about a number of deaths where being pepper sprayed may have been a contributing factor.[3] [from Wikipedia]
One should be very careful to second-guess police use of force when they are threatened, or when they are dealing with violent people, but there was nowhere near an excuse for the UC Davis police to attack the protesting students.
The two cops who sprayed the students should face criminal charges, and Linda P.B. Katehi, the hapless chancellor of the Davis campus of the University of California, should be fired for (more…)
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Tags:chancellor, ethics, Kent State, Linda Katehi, Occupy Wall Street, pepper spray, Selma, UC Davis, University police, Wikipedia
Posted in Apologies, Education, Ethics-general | Leave a Comment »
November 18, 2011
I’m back from my annual ballet trip to New York, and back to my computer. Along with four wonderful performances by American Ballet Theater I got to visit Park 51, the Islamic Center three blocks from Ground Zero (about which more soon), and Zuccotti Park, the home of Occupy Wall Street.
Zuccotti Park was a friendly place, surprisingly orderly, contrary to expectations from television. People sweeping, others staffing the free food tent, others reading or cheerfully chatting with visitors like me. There was a library, several pet dogs (apparently OWS is dog-, not cat-friendly) and a few baskets seeking donations. I saw lots of American flags and posters, but nothing ugly or much beyond run-of-the-mill progressive political ideas.
OWS aspired to being a good neighbor (photo): zero tolerance for alcohol, drugs, or abuse of people or public property. Everybody I saw seemed to be compliant with the proclaimed good neighbor policy.
But Mayor Bloomberg decided, reasonably enough, that Occupy Wall Street was becoming a nuisance and a threat to public health, and ordered the NYPD to evict the occupants from the park in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday. Most of OWS went peacefully, if sleepily; about 200 held their ground and were arrested. The park was cleared, cleaned, and the occupiers were readmitted, this time with tents and sleeping bags prohibited.
The police action may have reinvigorated a movement that had begun to bore the media and the public. Yesterday, the two-month anniversary of the start of the protest, the demonstrators (more…)
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Tags:99%, American Ballet Theater, ethics, good neighbor policy, Islamic Center, mass action, Mayor Bloomberg, New York Times, NYPD, Occupy Wall Street, Park 51, police action, zero tolerance, Zuccotti Park
Posted in Ethics-general, Government, Media | 1 Comment »
November 2, 2011
The conservative media and some Republican politicians are accusing the mainstream (translation: liberal and biased) media of smearing Herman Cain by publishing, then blabbering continuously about, allegations of sexual harassment of subordinate employees when Cain headed the National Restaurant Association back in the 1990s.
Cain’s campaign early today called it an “appalling smear” by “inside-the-beltway media.” Later today the Cain campaign accused the Rick Perry campaign of tipping the story when Cain chief of staff Mark Block told Fox, “Rick Perry needs to apologize to Herman Cain and, quite frankly, to America.”
Cain has only himself to blame for the vultures circling overhead. His story has changed—materially—every day, and more than once most days. First he denied ever being accused of sexual harassment. Then he acknowledged that there had been a complaint but he turned it over to the association that he headed and he didn’t think anything had come of it. Then he said there had been no settlement paid to his accuser(s). Then he said, wait a minute I thought there had been an agreement, not a settlement.
It’s hard to keep up with the story, but a few facts are beyond dispute:
- Two complaints of sexual harassment were filed against Cain.
- The National Restaurant Association paid off the accusers in exchange for their silence.
- Cain first denied any such complaints had ever been made.
- Cain’s story has changed daily.
The original story in Politico would have been a one-day item. Cain’s serial lying has turned it into a media circus that may well destroy his campaign, and deservedly so.
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Tags:conservative media, ethics, Herman Cain, inside-the-beltway media, mainstream media, Mark Block, National Restaurant Association, Politico, Rick Perry, serial lying, sexual harassment, smears
Posted in Ethics-general, Media, Politics | 6 Comments »
November 1, 2011
Ever wonder how people make money when you download a free app for your smart phone or tablet? So did I, until I read this article about Apple’s app store on zdnet.com, and downloaded the free Tap Pet Hotel on my iPhone. It’s a cute game app: you build a pet hotel and attract pets by building more rooms and giving treats.
It was free—I built a reception area and a washing room and was on my way to acquiring a panda—all I had to do was build a “jungle room” to house it. Then I got this notice:
“Purchasing a jungle room costs 75 coins. You only have 47 coins. Would you like to get more coins?”
I clicked “yes” and got the price list. I had these choices:
Vial of coins: 75 coins for $0.99
Pouch of coins: 165 coins for $1.99
Can of coins: 450 for $4.99
Bottle of coins: 938 for 9.99(25% extra for free)
Satchel of coins: 5250 for $49.99 (40% extra for free)
Trunk of coins: 11,250 for $99.99 (50% extra for free)
You can also buy treats for similar prices.
Apple aims games at kids, calls them “free,” then seduces them into spending big money to continue to play. There’s a warning on the download screen that purchases are available in the app, but I bet most kids won’t even read the warning, let alone heed it. That’s why this free app is Apple’s #2 grossing game app.
Apple should be ashamed.
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Tags:app store, Apple, coins, ethics, Free Apps. iPhone, Tap Pet Hotel, zdnet.com
Posted in Business ethics, Entertainment, Ethics-general | Leave a Comment »
October 26, 2011
I wrote last week about the deaths of 24 Turkish soldiers at the hands of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers party, and included a short poetic summary of the conflict by my friend Arzu Tutuk, a Turk from Istanbul.
The conflict is important to America because it threatens the peace of Turkey, the most important Muslim ally of the United States. The campaign is creating a wedge issue that can poison relations between Turkey and all her neighbors as well as between Turkey and the rest of NATO.
I invited Arzu to expand on her thoughts about the conflict. Here they are:
For most of the Turkish people, it is difficult to face the truth. There is a PKK issue in Turkey. PKK is a terrorist organization. There’s also a Kurdish problem in Turkey. It’s another issue, but not totally different.
I have many Kurdish friends who live in Istanbul. They went to good schools, got a good education, have proper jobs and great families. They grew up in families where the mother only spoke Kurdish. They did not hear a word of Turkish until primary school. At primary school it is forbidden to speak any other language (more…)
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Tags:AKP, Arzu Tutuk, BDP party, ethics, Kurdistan Workers' Party, Kurds, NATO, parliament, PKK, terrorists, Turkey
Posted in Ethics-general, International, Terrorism, Turkey | Leave a Comment »
October 25, 2011
“Earthquake diplomacy” is a term coined after two huge earthquakes struck first Turkey, then Greece in 1999. Putting aside years of mutual distrust, the Greek government immediately offered aid to Turkey when a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the major Turkish city of Izmit, with severe damage as far as Istanbul. Two weeks later a 5.9 earthquake struck in Athens, and the Turks quickly reciprocated. Ordinary Turks and Greeks rushed to donate blood and money to their stricken neighbors. Official relations between the two countries warmed considerably.
Now earthquake diplomacy may heal relations between former allies Turkey and Israel, seriously breached this May when Israeli forces attacked a Turkish ship attempting to run an Israeli blockade of Gaza, killing nine Turks in a botched attempt to take over the ship.
When a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey last week, killing hundreds and destroying thousands of homes, Israeli President Peres was the first to offer aid to his counterpart, Turkish President Gul. (more…)
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Tags:Athens, earthquake, Earthquake diplomacy, Erdogan, ethics, Gaza blockade, Greece, Gul, Haaretz, Israel, Istanbul, Izmit, Netanyahu, Peres, portable structures, Turkey
Posted in Ethics-general, International, Philanthropy | Leave a Comment »
October 25, 2011
Reasons to vote against Mitt Romney: He’s a liberal trying to look like a conservative. He has no convictions other than a determination to appear what’s necessary to get elected. He’s willing to employ illegal immigrants as long as no one knows about it. He put his pet dog in a cage on the roof of his car and drove 500 miles.
But some people have another reason: He’s a Mormon! And Mormons aren’t Christians. Not really. Mormonism is a cult!
So said Robert Jeffress, a senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas, explaining why Christians should prefer his candidate, Rick Perry, who he introduced at the Values Voter Summit two weeks ago in Washington.
Jeffress and the people who agree with him are repudiating the Constitution of the United States, which says in Article VI, “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”
Pretty strong statement, using ‘no,’ ‘ever,’ and ‘any’ in one clause. But Jeffress believes that Christians must prefer a Christian to Romney. That’s a religious test. It’s wrong when practiced by Evangelicals opposing Romney for the Republican nomination, and it’ll be just as wrong when liberals use it if and when Romney gets the nomination.
The theological argument over Mormonism as Christianity (more…)
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Tags:Article VI, Ask Mormon Girl, Constitution, cult, dog on the car roof, ethics, First Baptist Church, illegal immigrants, Mormonism, On Being with Krista Tippett. Joanna Brooks, religious bigotry, religious Test, Rick Perry, Robert Jeffress, Romney, San Diego State, Values Voter Summit
Posted in Ethics-general, Politics, Retail, Tolerance | 3 Comments »
October 22, 2011
On the morning of October 12, Melissa Franchy boarded the B110 bus in Brooklyn and sat down near the front. For a few minutes she was left in silence, although the other passengers gave her a noticeably wide berth. But as the bus began to fill up, the men told her that she had to get up. Move to the back, they insisted.
When Franchy asked why she had to move, a man scolded her. “If God makes a rule, you don’t ask ‘Why make the rule?’”
That’s from a story in Tuesday’s New York World. The B110 line is a public bus line in New York operated under contract since 1973. But 38 years may be enough for the New York authorities. Mayor Michael Bloomberg told a news conference on Wednesday that gender separation is “obviously not permitted” on public buses. He added, “Private people: you can have a private bus. Go rent a bus, and do what you want on it.”
Let’s see when segregation ends on the B110. Bet it won’t be today.
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Tags:B110 bus, Brooklyn, bus segregation, ethics, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Melissa Franchy, New York World
Posted in Ethics-general, Government, Religion, Tolerance | 2 Comments »
October 21, 2011
The terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) killed 24 Turkish soldiers and wounded 18 Wednesday in simultaneous attacks in Hakkari province, southeastern Turkey, 1,200 miles from Istanbul.
This attack is the most serious in years, in a battle that’s been on and off since 1984. The violence has been confined to remote areas near the border with Iraq, where the PKK takes sanctuary. Areas favored by western tourists and travelers have been free of violence.
Turkey has a population of 79 million, of whom about 14 million are Kurds, a largely Sunni Muslim people with their own language and culture, which Turkish governments have feared and repressed for decades.
Why should Americans care about this? Because the violence threatens the peace of Turkey, a friend of the United States, a member of NATO, and the Middle East’s only functioning democracy, a secular one at that. And because most Americans who have visited Turkey, especially including me, have fallen in love with the country and with its people.
The roots of the conflict are many and I thought, hard to follow, until my friend Arzu Tutuk, who makes a living showing Westerners the wonderful attractions of Istanbul and other parts of Turkey, clarified it in this crisp and poetic fashion:
Remember how happy we were when the Kurds elected members in the Parliament back in June?
Erdogan’s party did everything they could to not admit these members.
Some are in prison.
What do these people want? Broadcast in Kurdish, name their kids Kurdish names (more…)
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Tags:Arzu Tutuk, ethics, Kurdish terrorists, Kurdistan Workers' Party, Kurds, PKK, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Sunni Muslims, Turkey, Turkish Parliament Kurdish
Posted in Ethics-general, International, Religion, Tolerance | 3 Comments »
October 21, 2011
Sport is supposed to build character, but college sport often puts winning above sportsmanship or ethics. So it’s encouraging to see a big-time coach put character first. It’s especially encouraging when the stakes are huge.
LSU’s Tigers are undefeated at 7-0, and ranked #1 in the nation. Tomorrow they play improving and dangerous Auburn. LSU needs a win to preserve their path to the national championship.
LSU’s chances dropped a notch Wednesday when Coach Les Miles suspended three key players, reportedly for drug violations. The three included two considered the Tigers’ most valuable: cornerback and Heisman Trophy contender Tyrann Mathieu (six forced turnovers, including two returned for touchdowns), and star running back Spencer Ware (512 yards and six touchdowns). Defensive back Tharoid Simon (one interception and 29 tackles) was also suspended. The suspensions are for at least one game; if Miles extends them it could be devastating to the Tigers since their next game is at Alabama, ranked #2 in the nation.
Miles has been criticized for failing to control his players, but he deserves a lot of credit for putting character above winning. I don’t know whether to root for LSU to win to show that ethics pays off; or to root for them to lose to demonstrate just how much coach Miles put at risk to enforce LSU’s rules of behavior.
In any case, Coach Miles gets a Chip Kelly Award for putting character above winning.
__________
*Chip Kelly, Oregon Ducks football coach, suspended his star running back for poor sportsmanship right after Kelly’s first game as Ducks coach
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Tags:Alabama, Auburn, character, Chip Kelly award, drug violations, ethics, Heisman Trophy, Les Miles, LSU suspensions, LSU Tigers, Oregon Ducks, Spencer Ware, sportsmanship, Tharoid Simon, Tyrann Mathieu
Posted in Ethics-general, Sports | 1 Comment »
Ethics Bob 