What strikes me, is that while we're supposed to remember the lady begging for her life, and crying out how it's not right, and it's not fair... I think most of us are misinterpreting. She's not saying the whole thing is unfair, she's saying in effect that it's unfair that SHE got caught. I think this is something of an allegory to the fact that we as humans are generally only opposed to an action if there's a chance we might be at the receiving end.
This is to say, that if she hadn't been the one to be picked- I think she would have been all for it. And I think that the reason that we're so against murder as a society, is because WE might be the ones to get murdered. As a society (please don't reply and say OH NOT MEEEE! because I mean this as a society as a whole- take a look at our laws on the books if you disagree) we seem to be all FOR organized murder.
We are pro-death penalty in most states. This, to me, is sanctioned murder. It's how we choose to deal with someone who might otherwise be rehabilitated, in favor of running the risk of their repeating their crime.
And then there's abortion, which I won't go into because I feel this is an inappropriate venue and the point would be lost completely in the pro-choice vs pro-life furor.
Point is- the story was written to make us take a good hard look at ourselves. A question was posed (Hitchcock I think?) If you could win a million dollars, or 10 million, or 100 million, simply to push a button, knowing someone that you didn't know and would never find out about would die, would you do it?
All your financial problems gone, poof, in an instant. Most people say no, but the underlying reason behind their declination is because they think they might someday be at the receiving end.
It's inference. Of course, this is never stated, and it's never stated that if you DON'T you'd be safe... it's simply assumed that if we remain free of this sin that we'll be kept "safe."
Is safety simply an illusion? Do we pay for this illusion with the shedding of others' blood?
People- men and women- have been put to death for killing in self-defense. Is society any safer for their extermination?
The story is an excellent springboard for a number of offshoot questions and discussions.
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timeasmymeasure
Is it only wrong because we might get caught?
Date: 2006-03-08 05:04 pm (UTC)I think this is something of an allegory to the fact that we as humans are generally only opposed to an action if there's a chance we might be at the receiving end.
This is to say, that if she hadn't been the one to be picked- I think she would have been all for it.
And I think that the reason that we're so against murder as a society, is because WE might be the ones to get murdered. As a society (please don't reply and say OH NOT MEEEE! because I mean this as a society as a whole- take a look at our laws on the books if you disagree) we seem to be all FOR organized murder.
We are pro-death penalty in most states. This, to me, is sanctioned murder. It's how we choose to deal with someone who might otherwise be rehabilitated, in favor of running the risk of their repeating their crime.
And then there's abortion, which I won't go into because I feel this is an inappropriate venue and the point would be lost completely in the pro-choice vs pro-life furor.
Point is- the story was written to make us take a good hard look at ourselves. A question was posed (Hitchcock I think?) If you could win a million dollars, or 10 million, or 100 million, simply to push a button, knowing someone that you didn't know and would never find out about would die, would you do it?
All your financial problems gone, poof, in an instant.
Most people say no, but the underlying reason behind their declination is because they think they might someday be at the receiving end.
It's inference. Of course, this is never stated, and it's never stated that if you DON'T you'd be safe... it's simply assumed that if we remain free of this sin that we'll be kept "safe."
Is safety simply an illusion? Do we pay for this illusion with the shedding of others' blood?
People- men and women- have been put to death for killing in self-defense. Is society any safer for their extermination?
The story is an excellent springboard for a number of offshoot questions and discussions.
Karina Black//Ravenclaw