Around the United States thousands upon thousands of Latinos are marching in protest against proposals for changes in immigration laws and the potential treatment of immigrants who are already in the country, even if “illegally.”
What struck me about this issue is the history of the United States. In reality, the Europeans and others who came to the United States hundreds of years ago all came here “illegally.” They were not invited, nor necessarily welcome. They took it upon themselves to overrun an entire nation to commit genocide and other horrendous crimes against natives and at the same time brought another race of people along whom they enslaved. The bottom line is that the entire country was founded by bunch of racist elitist illegal immigrant criminals.
But some several hundred years later it’s a different story. This reminds me of Heinz’s Dilemna. Read this and think about what you would do:
A woman was near death from cancer. One drug might save her, a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The druggist was charging $2000 for the cure — ten times what the drug had cost him to make. The sick woman’s husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money but he could collect only about half of what it the druggist charges. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or to let him pay later, but the druggist said no. The husband became desperate and broke into the man’s store to steal the drug for his wife. Should the husband have done that? If so, why? If not, then why not?
So, what’s your answer? Post a comment to share your thoughts.
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3 comments
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May 13th, 2006 at 8:07 am
Emily
Sometimes the end does justify the means. They were both wrong in this case, though. The druggist for not being compassionate and willing to forego profit to help someone in dire need, and the husband for stealing. BUT, at least the husband did all he could to help his wife, so he was morally right and sometimes that’s more important than the law. I think I would do the same… take my chances on a jury being more compassionate than the money-grubbing pharmacist, and being able to sleep at night knowing I had done everything I could to help my dying spouse.
May 28th, 2006 at 4:43 am
impulse
Both were wrong, but I would have done the same as the husband. I think there is no good or bad, only protection of resources.
This drugstory reminds me of the eleven South American countries who forced the American producers of AIDS stopping medicin to sell them cheaper, zo more people could be saved.
source: http://www.paho.org/english/ad/fch/ai/antiretrovirals_HP.htm
August 9th, 2006 at 5:32 am
Lopo
@ Emily
The Ends NEVER justify the means.
Iraque is an actual proof of that and the Israelian attack to Lebanon is the upmost actual demonstation of that. Actaully, in the recent history of the USA around the globe this is demonstrated at will.
@ Impulse
You are partially right but not for that reason.
@ Author
Do you know why Patent and Copyright were invented? And what was the return to people due to that? And what was the ideia behind that lost of our Rights?
Of course, if the Rights of the People are endagered the Patents and Copyrights should be immediately revoged. They have it in the first place to promote science and culture but not to make then filfy rich and/or explore the People.
This is valid for software, healthcare, agriculture, etc.
Today, the original concept of Patent and Copyright was totaly destroyed. Nor the authors really have their Copyright but the companies that publish the work (the intention was precisely the opposite) neither Patents protect work done but start to protect mere ideas, and many of those not even original.
Maybe its time to rethink this model from scratch.