Is it wrong?

Of the 18 who posted on this thread, here is their view of stealing food:

12 would steal
5 did not say if they would or would not steal
1 would not steal

And it isn't always that we would necessarily steal, but would be willing to tell a few little lies, or take vegetables from a field or fruit from trees or some creative activity.

The cousin in the story, Alf Wilson, spent an extended period of time with my family in Iowa when the war ended and Lincoln was assassinated. In my historical novel, I have him tell his story to my family. My great-grandmother was a little girl with that family. She and I are pictured together on the cover of my book, Iowa Born and Bred.


Carol

Of the 12 who said they they would steal (food) to save a child. Lets move the question up a peg:

The child will die within four days without medical help. The cost of the help is $250,000. You have exhausted all avenues to raise the needed money

Would you rob a bank to get the needed money to save the child?

If you respond positive: You are in the bank. You have everyone on the floor with their hands on their necks. You are holding a gun. A guard comes in from the back room. Sees the people on the floor, and you with a gun. He goes for his gun..
Now what do you do?

Domenc,

Yes, I would rob the bank. My parents were bank robbers --remember!

I, with my steady, Parkinson's diseased hand, would shoot the gun out of his hand!


Next?

Alice...that is Hollywood. That is not an answer. Have you ever fired a hand gun?

Coming from the UK I can't answer your question truthfully Domenic, as on this side of the big pond medical care is free.

Domenic,

Yes!

thehairymob wrote:

Coming from the UK I can't answer your question truthfully Domenic, as on this side of the big pond medical care is free.

That lets me off too!

Domenic,

Your scenarios give us food for thought, but they are always worst case scenarios, and something a bit simpler would be better.

I guess if the case you speak of is true, I'd go to the hospital and ask for assistance. They have to treat those who come through their doors. They have "scholarships" for those who cannot pay, they know of those willing to help out, and how to get the resources available. They also have been known to put people on payment plans. Maybe these lasted a lifetime, but that would be all right also.

There is much I would do before robbing a bank. One thing that is done are benefits for those in need. Actually there was one in a town near us where the "patient" only pretended to be ill, and pocketed the money, but was found out and sentenced for fraud. (I realize that has nothing to do with anything.)

Carol

It was a Glock and if I recall accurately, it had a tendency to move upward of where I was aiming.

I will adjust for that!

Alice,

I'm not going to be there with you. You are on your own here.

Carol

Domenic,

Relax, your evangelistic fervor is turning me into a hardened criminal.

I wll cross these bridges when I come to them.

I have not encountered any of these situations yet.

The questions being asked here sound very much like Lawence Kohlberg's stages of moral development. The thing about Kohlberg's studies was that there isn't a correct answer. It isn't so much about what you would do as it about under what circumstances you would do it. Kohlberg makes some good points, but I have a problem with some of his conclusions, particularly about women being less "moral" than men, because they lack the impartiality seen in moral males. Perhaps because of the traditional roles women play, they come to their conclusions using a different approach, but they, IMHO, are no less moral.

Ann

Carol Troestler wrote:

Alice,

I'm not going to be there with you. You are on your own here.

Carol

Don't worry, Carol, I won't be there either just having fun.

alj,
this is not to say men are better then women...but, we are very different.
It is a fact that women are smarter...but, again, we think very different.
I have had women tell me, "Do not trust women." What is your take on that?

I know this is an area of VERY THIN ICE...but, what the hell.

domenic Pappalardo wrote:

alj,
this is not to say men are better then women...but, we are very different.
It is a fact that women are smarter...but, again, we think very different.
I have had women tell me, "Do not trust women." What is your take on that?

I know this is an area of VERY THIN ICE...but, what the hell.

I know of no such fact.

I do. But I would wouldn't I? Just ask Dick.

Alice, women (most) use both sides of the brain at the same time. Men can only use the left or right. They can't use both at the same time.
Even at that, we are masters at whispering in the ear, and getting what we want. Do you think they call us horn dogs for nothing?

Alice, which side of your brain you use most often doesn't have anything to do with how smart you are. In fact, the whole lateral thinking concept has been called into question. There are other, newer theories out there.

Besides, you use your brain more deeply than the rest of us here anyway.

Ann

Alice, I agree with alj. You are like the scare crow in the Wizard of Oz. So what does that make Shelagh?

Careful. Oh, go on then. Do your worst.

domenic Pappalardo wrote:

Alice, women (most) use both sides of the brain at the same time. Men can only use the left or right. They can't use both at the same time.
Even at that, we are masters at whispering in the ear, and getting what we want. Do you think they call us horn dogs for nothing?

Whatever--I have a daughter and a son--I thnk they are of equal intelligence.

I have a husband, who on most occasions is superior to me in intelligence, who will often tell me I am smarter than he is.

My motto--"Never argue with a fox." Since he is a true fox, I don't argue, just keep my eyes open.

I would love to be a male chauvinist and say I was smarter than any woman. The truth is my wife is ten times smarter than I am. She must be, she always gets her way.

Guys don't care if women are smarter, as long as they say...yes.