Comments

1. Ambivalent

   I was completely unmoved by this movie. It was unrealistic to expect someone to watch a valuable object for a long period of time. The expected consequence of this action is always loss of the item because people are inherently bad. The movie fails to even pose a moral problem because the most common action, and in fact response, would be to call it quits after 15 minutes and turn the items into the manager. Thus the movie only seems to prove that there is a time limit to the good graces of strangers to which I say…..duh!

   9 months, 1 week ago In response to Table Guardians

2. Good to a fault

   The use of the title "Good Samaritan" brings to mind an interesting fact that many may have forgotten. The story of the "Good Samaritan" was used by Jesus to teach the religious leaders of the time that they had to look beyond the boundaries of race, religion and nationality. Too often we define groups of people in an attempt to define ourselves. "I'm a white middle class American male." This only serves to alienate, breed hate and provide excuses to those that need justification for committing crimes. This woman demonstrated the principle that Jesus was trying to teach, specifically, that everyone is your family.

   10 months ago In response to The Gift Continues

3. Snap Judement

   If the thief flashed a gun on the bus after robbing someone, the man watching would have been morally delinquent in not calling the police. At some point you have to realize that your actions (good or bad) will have an effect on others. At that point its a choice for evil or good, regardless of the outcome to others. If I call the police and the man shoots me, I may save peoples lives anyway because the man is caught and doesn't have time to hurt others. None of us can see the future.

   10 months, 1 week ago In response to Transit

Its easy to do wrong

It's easy to do the wrong thing. Regardless of what decision the man in the film made, it was deeply unsettling that someone would see something like that and not do something about it. The inherent question posed by the movie and by Liberty Mutual is; What is your responsibility? In this film, the writer insisted on making no moral judgment call at all, which I think is the worst moral failing of all.

10 months, 1 week ago In response to Transit

Turning in the money?

I have to disagree that turning in the money was the "right" thing to do. At a very young age, most humans are afraid of the dark in response to a fear of the unknown. As we grow older we understand that while there are not monsters under the bed, there are monsters in the world in many shapes. My point is this; when attempting to "do good" be aware that there are always those that will balance the scales and "do harm." In this case it was naive to think that the money would ever be returned, to either yourself or the person who lost it.

10 months, 1 week ago In response to The Gift

Saving Lives?

Interesting dilemma, however I choose to believe that natural selection should eliminate anyone stupid enough to stand on railroad tracks while there exists even a remote possibility of a train coming their way. Maybe I'm just playing devils advocate here, but doesn't betterment of the species come into play when considering whether or not to save someone's life? Lets put it this way. If you could cure cancer by killing just one newborn baby, would you do it?

10 months, 1 week ago In response to Test Your (Moral) Mettle

Define what responsibility means to you.