Discernment: Harold's Story III |
Monday Aug 06 2007
By Stu Whitley | Bio
This is the third in a three-part series.
I read somewhere that good decision-making—indeed, good relations— depends upon a virtuous cycle of respect, trust and candour (which takes some time to establish, but which can easily be interrupted). Attitude, after all, is everything. Perhaps that last statement needs a bit of refinement: the ethical attitude is everything. By that I mean the determination of the answer to the age-old question: who is right? Was Harold right to express his annoyance with conduct he perceived as racist and excessive, in coarse language? Was the police officer right to arrest Harold in his perceived perception that Harold was instigating a threat to the public peace? Was the security guard right to expel the children from his shop and continue to press for their departure from the vicinity? We don’t have enough facts, a lawyer might argue. In a courtroom, various perspectives and motives would be put in play, with neither party being satisfied by the result. Forensic justice cannot answer competing claims for rightness in a manner satisfying for everyone. But here, I stand with Harold.[Read More]
Tagged with: attitude choice decision-making judgment
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