Friday, April 10, 2009

The Moral Compass. Which way does it point these days?

As most are likely aware, Stylish Steve and Igghead have jousted recently over that Mulroney guy and in a response to reporters recently, the Stylish one made a reference to something being wrong with Igghead's moral compass. In this odd set of events, Harper did appear to have some foundation for his statements, unlike the other guy who never ceases to miss an opportunity to check to see if he can still fit his foot in his mouth. Still, it is rather humorous hearing Harper lecture on morality. I guess lying doesn't count.

But that's not what I wanted to write about this morning. It was the phrase Moral Compass that went together with something else that happened in my little corner of this Country that I thought worthwhile discussing. I could have titled this piece, The Confused Nation and it would have been appropriate too.

The Rest of The Story;

There seems to be a marked increase in the number of fights/violent incidents among youth/yutes (Joe Pesci) in our area in recent weeks, and I really don't know why that is exactly, I just know it is. It could be the result of being cooped up together for months in schools and looking for avenues to realease their frustrations, or it could just be instincts similar to male Deer or Bucks come rutting season. As I said, I don't know but that isn't really the basis of what I want to write about either exactly. My pondering is based on one particular incident, involving a group of yutes ranging in age from 15 to 18 yrs, a woman approx 35 yrs. and pregnant, plus an older guy of 50 plus.

A group of high school students are squaring off in the parking lot of a local burger joint located with walking distance of the school. They have grievances with each other apparently. Not far away are other yutes who are not involved, including the person who told me this story. It is lunch period so it is not uncommon for students to be in this area. What was uncommon was the aspect of a fight brewing there and especially at that time of day.

To complete setting the scene, the 50 plus year old guy is standing behind the burger joint, having a smoke. He works there. Someone goes into the restaurant and informs staff of the situation, and for some reason unbeknown to me, out comes the 35 yr. old noticably pregnant woman to deal with it.

The woman approaches the yutes, and words are exchanged and that is when it starts to get weird. A 15/16 yr. old becomes incensed, starts lipping off loudly and more words are exchanged. The yute proceeds to apply a very forceful push to the woman almost knocking her off of her feet. That is when the rather smallish 50 something yr. old male who was having a smoke and watching this unfold, springs into action. He rushes across the parking lot and delivers a blow to the head of the yute so forceful that said yute drops like a stone.

Uh Oh. Now we have a dilemna. Due to the actions of 50 something guy, the incident draws to a quick close. The yutes involved gather up the one on the ground and leave the area. What will come of this in the end, I don't know either. I don't know if the yutes will report this as an assault, which in all likelihood would go badly for 50 something guy. I don't know if the restaurant chain will end up being involved or not. The yutes may choose not to pursue anything out of embarrassment or fear of repercussions for their actions. That does not eliminate possible consequences for the adults though.

Unfortunately, the yutes have little deterrent from making an issue of this, as our system rarely does anything at all about this type of youth violence. I am aware of numerous incidents of vicious assaults perpetrated by students against other students in recent years and the perpetrators suffered little or no consequences. Police do little other than deal with immediate circumstances and offer the explanation that it is the Crown Prosecutors office which decides whether to pursue matters or not. If one accepts this, then apparently the Crown rarely chooses to continue, preferring to wait until the little dinks are fully cultivated violent members of adult society. So on to reality and choices.

As an old head with a grasp of the realities here, I will list some of the risks 50 something guy ran when he bolted across that parking lot;

1. Being charged with assault.
2. Being assaulted himself.
3. Loosing his job.
4. Being sued.

And what he could achieve.

1. Protecting a fellow employee and possibly a friend from potential injury.
2. Protecting an unborn child from possibly harm.
3. Ending a potentially dangerous situation where injuries might have been sustained by a number of persons.

Now the dilemma involved here is quite obvious I would think. Did he do the right thing? Did the situation warrant his actions? Was it wise of him to expose himself and his employer to these risks?

My personnel dilemma is further complicated as I had made considerable attempts to spur authorities to address the youth violence issues last year and have admonished and punished my own Son for allowing himself to become involved in fights. As a result, he asked me this question yesterday.

"Would you have been mad at me if I got into that fight to protect the woman?"

Sometimes kids ask really tough questions. What do you think? What is our moral compass in these modern times?

25 comments:

  1. "Would you have been mad at me if I got into that fight to protect the woman?"

    In a word, yes.

    Given the stats below it is unclear as to whether the woman stepped in to stop a fight or be in one.
    ---------------------------

    Monday March 26th 2001 by P.C. M.P. Greg Thompson from New Brunswick.

    Violent youth crime is up 77% in 10 years.

    Violent crimes by girls is up 127% since 1988
    ====================

    I suspect you`ve missed all the utube on girls ripping each other apart which is why your following statement fits into the bs category with others like it.

    "it could just be instincts similar to male Deer or Bucks come rutting season"

    all women are victims all men are bad

    dv is always man against women

    sole custody is needed to protect women and children from fathers

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  2. "What is our moral compass in these modern times?"

    What moral compass?

    The facts speak for themselves even if our government hides them.
    --------------

    April 10, 2009

    Why the US is losing the war on drugs but winning the war against the poor.

    Enforcement reports $110 billion of child support arrearages nationwide, 70 percent of the people who owe it, earn poverty level wages.

    Nationally, child support enforcement agencies employ more than 55,000 people in their war on
    "deadbeats." Compare that with the Drug Enforcement Agency which employs a mere 1,900 agents in America's war on drugs.

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  3. Anon, I don't think a 35 yr old pregnant woman went out there looking to rumble, and she isn't a girl any longer.

    No, I haven't seen the girls ripping each other apart on youtube. I have seen a couple of vid's of boys fighting, and I realize the spectacle value of it all. I also have my views as to just how civilized we are as a whole given the rise of these things and popularity of dumb grunts like the UFC participants. It's all just a new version of the Coliseum and Gladiators.

    The fact that some girls go this route as well is another sad reflection of our times, but not isolated to these times completely.

    Those are peripheral issues though. The issue I'm trying to address mainly, is the moral compass. What direction, if any does it follow in real terms?

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  4. 8 of 7 asks, what moral compass?

    Indeed, that's what I'm driving at. Is there a real moral compass anymore, and if so, where does it point?

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  5. "Is there a real moral compass anymore, and if so, where does it point"

    lol, I`ll try this one more time. Our government has no moral compass. The only compass our government follows points to corruption.

    You will not find any solution to the continuing degradation of our society, our economy and our country until this corrupt government is replaced with a government for the people by the people and not of the elite for the elite.

    Corruption breeds corruption which is the principal reason Canada has lost the faith and trust of the international investment community.

    While we can pat ourselves on the back contemplating ideas that would relieve poverty and restore social justice, it simply won`t happen under the new "feudalism", which by the way Dee answers the question as to what comes after socialism and capitalism. Use massive, previously illegal in many parts of the world, deficit spending to indenture future generations with tax, the recipe for decades of rule over the serfs.

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  6. All well and good 7 of 6, but that's not the point I'm trying to address here. Governments influence many things, but can't influence the way I think. They can influence my actions, but my thoughts are my own. That's why I'm driving at the moral compass issue above, and mixed messages and directions which government and our society engages in and puts forward as direction for the peebles.

    Peebles shouldn't have to choose between being right morally, but wrong legally, or wrong morally, but right legally. And my question above is asking for people to input their views on whether this is a situation that fits those parameters and how they feel about that?

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  7. "but that's not the point"

    "my question above is asking for people to input their views"

    u remind me of my ex, asks for my input then complains about it

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  8. "right morally, but wrong legally, or wrong morally, but right legally"

    One intent of the pregnant women could have been an attempt at averting an escalation of any violence. For my nickels worth a pregnant women would not rush into a potentially violent situation and as the man was just causally involved in watching the notion the women entered and escalated the situation as though she meant to pick a fight.

    Further to my input there is no legally right when legality does not apply to those that make and uphold the law. This fact makes the personal input of views irrelevant until the basic problem, government corruption leaking down through the system is corrected. Even if the unlikely prospect the women intentionally picked the fight you have already found a logical excuse, rutting, to blame the boys. That`s the way the rule of law is handled by those above the law that we intrust to uphold it.

    The answer remains yes, he would be in trouble for exposing himself to how a corrupt system would view his actions.

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  9. 7 of 6 and 6 of 6

    "u remind me of my ex, asks for my input then complains about it"

    So?

    Anyway, either you still don't get the gist of the question, or you choose not to address it straight on. No matter. You complain about blog topics.

    --------------------

    "One intent"

    You think they had a strategy conference? It's a burger joint, they are not normally staffed with cutting edge strategists.

    ----------------------

    "This fact makes the personal input of views irrelevant until the basic problem, government corruption "

    Hardly. Government decrees don't determine everything we think or do. I alluded to that already. According to your view, it seems we must have a rule tailored to each circumstance in order to have personal thoughts and inclination.

    As to rutting, the girls aren't getting together in carloads and traveling to other schools for mass fights. The girls also get prettier at closing time.

    Umm...6, the boys were gathered outside the booger barn, with the intention of a show down. The woman had nothing to do with planning the event.

    The rutting remark was satirical. Do keep up 6.

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  10. "You will not find any solution to the continuing degradation of our society, our economy and our country until this corrupt government is replaced with a government for the people by the people and not of the elite for the elite."

    One other thing 7 of 6. In the meantime, someone has to point their noses in the right direction and give them a virtual boot in the ass concerning issues of importance.

    Governments and their agents are sending completely mixed messages, and thereby covering all their bases. This way they are never totally wrong as they can point to the other arm which preaches the alternate view and thus redirect the heat. It's an old game plan of theirs.

    One of the things that result from this, is a confused population. Damned if they do, damned if they don't. That is the point of my question.

    What is our moral compass in these modern times?

    I'm not asking what governments moral compass is. The glass on their compass has a perpetual fog obscuring it. I'm asking what is our moral compass? Our, as in the peoples. Do the people have one still, or are they too confused by obfuscation and conflicting applications that restrict people from being able to formulate a clear view of what society believes are in fact the correct choices?

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  11. "I'm asking what is our moral compass? Our, as in the peoples.'

    That is a good enough question to review trends which should indicate where as individuals making up the larger society is going. Gangs in Vancouver have tripled since this truth was acknowledged.
    The collective does not approve of following the trend so we vote against the worst but find resistance is still futile.

    first government fails, then the economy, then the country
    =======

    B.C. police losing battle against crime

    Chad Skelton
    Vancouver Sun

    Friday, November 18, 2005

    According to the study, which was paid for by the RCMP, the number of police officers in B.C. has kept pace with population growth over the past 40 years.

    But during that same period, the number of reported crimes has increased seven-fold even though survey data suggest people are less likely to report crime today than they did previously.

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  12. Without getting into the discussion between One and Sixes and Eights, the moral compass I would suggest is "What is required of me as a human being?" Looking away would not be an option. And I've been there, done that - and come close to being charged!

    In my student days I was concerned about matters of ethics and morality. I was never able to accept the cop-out that a businessman or politician could divorce his actions in office from his status as an individual and his personal and religious convictions. As if a human being stopped being an agent and became an immaterial instrument in some lifeless machinery! But this schizophrenia is more than a disease: it is a sanctioned requirement, and a good explanation for the all-around mess we are in.

    Thus endeth my lesson for to-day.

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  13. the moral compass I would suggest is "What is required of me as a human being?
    "Looking away would not be an option."

    excellent

    Whats incremental change, just peeking away?

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  14. Herb, I could write about a person's basic nature, how they are hard wired and would react if they didn't pause to think. How experience may affect how they are wired. Or I could simply focus on the possible consequences of not pausing to think.

    For example, a criminal record lasts a long time and has potentially life altering consequences.

    This topic can be the basis to examine many aspects of the new world, and to challenge many of it's contradictions. To examine only this situation, considering whether to do the right thing or the safe thing is at the forefront, and what the institutional reactions and contemporary thought process would be.

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  15. Whats incremental change, just peeking away?

    A glance away at just the right time caused by weak knee syndrome

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  16. C'mon, Robert. You and I have been having this same conversation for two years. Just ask one of your alter-egos if you don't recall the details.

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  17. Bambi and Scruffy make a delightful couple, just as Maxine and Little Johnny do, so here they are in action! -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wnndFbm9Mw
    ------
    The following shows why men usually have cotton wool stuffed between their ears. Women, on the other hand . . .

    Frank feared his wife Peg wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid.

    Not quite sure how to approach her, he talked to the family doctor to discuss the problem.

    The doctor told him there was a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.

    'Here's what you do,' said the doctor, 'stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you.

    'If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response.'

    That evening, Frank's wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was in the den. He says to himself, 'I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens.'

    Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?'

    No response.

    So the husband moves closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, 'Peg, what's for dinner?'

    Still no response.

    Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?'

    Again he gets no response.

    So, he walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. 'Honey, what's for dinner?'

    Silence.

    So he walks right up behind her. 'Peg, what's for dinner?'

    (I just love this)

    'Frank, for the FIFTH bloody time, CHICKEN!'
    *****
    The part in which the doctor says a couple of lines leads to this -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQSbKBTuQBc
    ------
    Fear not little ones, for I, King Slimeballs Of The Land Upchuckius will bring forth all that you need in these strange times. Or not.

    "Moral Compass". Reminds me of the parable of the Good Samaritan -- a majority eould understand this parable to illustrate that human kindness and goodwill should be available to all, and that fulfilling the spirit of the Law is as necessary as following the law, but most everyone knows that the law is an ass.

    Guess that's why almost all politicians were first lawyers and law-makers, who became judges. Unless the lady's and baby's lives were physically threatened, I'm not sure whether I would intervene.

    Taking into account that overall, violence thruout the world has skyrocketed and will plague people's lives to a much greater degree than now, they are withdrawing from helping others.

    I really can't blame them -- there are way too many 'angry' kids out there, a lot of them caused by broken homes for which they were not responsible for, but have to live with the fall-out.

    I would opt for the mediation route first, only use lawyers as a last resort. My dime's worth.
    ------
    More and more, the msm completely ignores this. How convenient! -- http://tinyurl.com/dhz2kj

    "The Financial War Against Iceland -- Being defeated by debt is as deadly as outright military warfare." . . . Hudson: "Iceland is under attack -- not militarily but financially." . . . Like many others, "It owes more than it can pay" and is bankrupt. It was planned that way, and the idea is to strip-mine the nation and its people of their resources, enterprises, assets, land, homes, jobs and futures through perpetual debt bondage. . . ."

    Iceland sank in less than a year, Spain went almost immediately after and now most of eastern Europe, along with the West are going fast. People are left with nothing to do, nothing to look forward to so now you may understand why violence is increasing across the globe.

    Almost time for WW3 to pop up -- after the Olympics bankrupt us!
    ------
    Gerald Celente -- love him or hate him, he seems to pop up quite frequently these days. -- http://tinyurl.com/c8nn4j
    ------
    THOUGHT FOR THE DAY! (Courtesy wrh.com)

    "If we'd been born where they were born and taught what they were taught, we would believe what they believe."-- A sign inside a church in Northern Ireland, explaining the origin of intolerance and hate.

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  18. this same conversation for two years

    exciting isn`t it

    I feel we`re very close to you explaing what excremental change really means

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  19. I remember Dee asked about the "stress tests" for the banks. They're a complete whitewash. A couple of links.

    http://tinyurl.com/cy24u8 and http://tinyurl.com/cwg2k7

    "PIRATES AT HOME

    "While the press is mesmerized by the pirates off the coast of Somalia, today it was reported the US military has found no link between those “bad guys” with terrorism — they should be paying more attention to the real plunder at home.

    "Warning: a new wave of bank bailouts are coming.

    "How do I know? There was a lead article in the NY Times business section reporting on “stress” tests being given to banks by Tim Geithner’s posse

    "We said from the beginning the stress tests were a complete sham. Just look at the numbers. 200 examiners for 19 banks?"

    -- and from the second link --

    "The U.S. Federal Reserve has told Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc. and other banks to keep mum on the results of “stress tests” that will gauge their ability to weather the recession, people familiar with the matter said.

    "The Fed wants to ensure that the report cards don’t leak during earnings conference calls scheduled for this month. Such a scenario might push stock prices lower for banks perceived as weak and interfere with the government’s plan to release the results in an orderly fashion later this month."

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  20. Charles, I have a thought regarding Iceland and other countries in similar situations.

    This comes from someone I knew many years ago. A thoroughly unapologetic scoundrel, and reprobate who at the time of experiencing the circumstances described in this story, was working as a used car salesman for a third rate outfit on a cornerin Halifax.

    The Scoundrels name was Andy.

    Andy begins his story by telling us that most of the country worry about bills and repaying loans far too much, and that the secret is to go on a run as long as you can, and get all the credit you can possibly get. He said you know it's funny how much you can squeeze these guys once you already owe them a bunch.

    He went on to tell us how he would handle the ones who had caught on to his little game and began bugging him regularly via phone calls etc. He says, this one guy calls one day and it's the second time that week he had called, so I tells him I'm fed up with hearing from him and I sez listen bucko, this is how it works.

    At the end of each month I get a hat. In that hat I put the names of all the people I owe money to. Then I draw out 3 names, and those 3 get paid. Now as for you, this month you don't even get in the hat.

    My suggestion for the Icelands of the world be, to apply the Andy Economic Model. Waving index finger mitts included with the kit.

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  21. Define incremental change.

    How about this; on this Holy Day of Good Friday I peered through the window and what did I see? One the Drunkest guys I have ever seen that was still standing. Or for a more contemporary reference;

    Drunk Man Standing.

    Now what was incremental about this highlight in my day you may ask? Well, it was the fact that after lunging forward 3 or 4 steps, sideways 1 or 2, backward 2 or 3 steps, in total he had actually inched forward up the hill toward his ultimate destination incrementally.

    That folks, is the definition of incremental. And now you know, the rest of the story.

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  22. he had actually inched forward up the hill toward his ultimate destination incrementally
    ------

    The secret being of course when making incremental advancement is to be stupid drunk enough to think you`re running ahead of the pack.

    Cheers

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  23. Comrade One,

    Andy appears -- to me, anyway -- to be a first-class shyster who is not in the least bit concerned with the trouble his actions may cause for others and ultimately, himself.

    It certainly is not the lifestyle that Sandy and I would live, but to each their own -- as long as they take full responsibility for their actions, 'coz for each action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

    With both of us now retired, it is incomprehensible to see how couples starting out these days "want it all, and want it now", and this may be one of the causes of the fiscal meltdown -- govts. and people are so fixated on their material gains / wealth, they have forgotten about the simpler things of life.

    Perhaps those individuals should begin by taking an apprenticeship, starting at the bottom rung then clawing their way up the ladder.

    They will have noticed by the end of their appr., moving into journeyman / woman status, that life doesn't owe them anything.

    Shysters / huxters are a dime a dozen, but they, too are entitled to their own experiences.

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  24. Charles, I recommend the Andy Economic Model for countries like Iceland for one reason. As is pointed out in your article, there were three components that contributed and brought about their current situation.

    First, there was a lack of wisdom displayed by government and business leaders based on greed and expedience.

    Second, there was irresponsible behaviour by those who pushed the easy credit, easy money and borrowing philosophies, based on greed.

    Third, apparently the majority of the people allowed themselves to be sucked in by this or didn't speak out in time.

    Of the three, who is the most guilty and who can best absorb the losses or at least defer them?

    I'm thinking the credit peddlers. Icelanders have already chucked out the political bandits, so it's now a case of them R the money changers.

    Enter Andy Economic Model.

    As for ole Andy, as I said he was a scoundrel. An interesting scoundrel though, and he could be quite funny at times. I would surmise him to be the product of his genetics and his upbringing/environment. Andy didn't come from po' folk, his dad had a good job and rose to an upper middle management position, then on to upper management for a brief time. He was somewhat devious and a player and was also involved in an odd religious group from which a number of the management of that company came.

    They were a breakaway from the baptists or something and more fundamentalist. They believed in such things as no TV's in the home. So Andy had the genetics of the player, but not the desire to stick things out, like his father. As time passed, and Andy drifted from one mess to another, his father was always there ready to use his influence to get him a job at the company he worked for. Problem was Andy wouldn't stay more than a few years at a time, but knew he could always come back if and when he felt like it, and dad I guess was between a rock and hard place as by the time I knew them, Andy had two children and a very nice wife.

    One's evil deeds often come back to haunt in mysterious ways.

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