Right
| 2 votes | | Practical
| 1 votes | | | Total: 3 voters. Total votes: 3. Max items per vote allowed: 1. |
LadyGodiva74
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What is right, or what is practical?
I've come across this question many times in my discussions about politics, values etc. For instance, in the case of capital punishment, it is obviously not right to kill people. And I do not believe that we, as humans, have the right to decide whether a fellow human lives or dies. *Insert Lord of the Rings quote here* But, as I said in the other thread... what do we do with these criminals? Honestly, killing them is the most practical thing to do. Our tax dollars aren't wasted, and they're no longer a danger to society.
This is an issue in other things as well- drilling for oil in Alaska, most environmental and fossil fuel issues, welfare (do we help those who need it because it's right, or do we be practical in saving our tax dollars from those who will inevitably milk the system?)
So... if you had to choose one rule to make all of your decisions by, would you choose what is right, or what is practical?
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If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting? ~Stephen Levine
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3/27/2007, 3:45 pm
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SearchingSkeptic
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Re: What is right, or what is practical?
Personally, I'd go by what is most profitable. 
---
The Boeing 707 - the pack mule of the American skies! Sheeplike passengers, too stupid to appreciate technologies inherited from long-range bombers!
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3/27/2007, 4:11 pm
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Post Script
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Re: What is right, or what is practical?
My first instinct would be what is right, but everyone has a different definition of what is right. For example, pro-life people believe illegalizing abortion is right, and pro-choice people believe that abortion being legal is right. There's no real way to tell, because it will vary on the situation, the circumstances, and the beholder. So if I was in a position of power, and I actually got to make decisions, then I'm not sure that doing what is right would be....practical (  ), because it wouldn't be right for everyone. Maybe that's why political parties were invented, so that at least half the people will be happy the majority of the time.
But, if you throw out doing what is right, as a rule, and do what it is practical, then where do you draw the line? It would be practical to not allow anyone to have more than one child, for population control purposes, but ethically, the government shouldn't have that kind of control. Ar least, in my opinion. Which brings us back to whose opinion of what is right is to be used.
So, basically, I don't know. Everything is in many shades of gray. Which is why, theoretically, our government is a great idea since it's always a balancing act--House, Senate, Congress, President, Advisers etc.
I don't think that it would be wise to always do what you think is right (that is, in positions of power), or to always do what would be practical. Ultimatums suck.
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See you in the funny papers!
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3/27/2007, 4:58 pm
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Perpetua
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Re: What is right, or what is practical?
quote:
Post Script wrote:
My first instinct would be what is right, but everyone has a different definition of what is right.
For that reason I'd like to vote practical, but everyone has a different idea of that too. Also, are we asking practical means or practical end?
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How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
As tho' to breath were life.
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3/27/2007, 5:29 pm
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LadyGodiva74
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Re: What is right, or what is practical?
^Um, I think a practical end... but they pretty much go hand in hand because if the means isn't practical you won't get to your end in the first place. But in the case of the death penalty, for instance, you're working towards the practical end; no more villains on the streets, no more tax dollars wasted on jail. I'm not sure if that answered your question or not...
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If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting? ~Stephen Levine
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3/27/2007, 5:54 pm
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Arielle197
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Re: What is right, or what is practical?
I'm gonna make this short and sweet. If something is right, then it's the right thing to do. I guess the only time that I think there should be any acception is in the case of someone like Husain who could possibly still be putting people in danger by being alive.
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...Formerly Makeitreal197
Don't dream your life, live your dream
*keep the candle burning*
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3/28/2007, 9:12 pm
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Bearhachick
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Re: What is right, or what is practical?
I am for the death penalty so this is a weird one for me to answer, but in general, one should do waht is right. Pragmaticism outwears its welcome sooner or later. And one won't ever feel guilty about doing the right thing, while they might later about just doing something because it was practical.
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5/14/2007, 11:59 pm
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ShannonOmeara
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Re: What is right, or what is practical?
In this case, I think right and practical overlap because executing someone actually costs more than keeping them in prison for life, because you no longer have to pay for their decades-long appeal process, don't have to have separate lockups, don't have to hire additional personnel, don't need specialized equipment and chemicals, etc, etc.
On a similar note, Germany (and possibly many other countries) has a maximum judicial penalty of 25 years. Ignoring that any elected official suggesting we go to this model will have just forfeited his/her reelection for being "soft on crime", is there any reason we shouldn't give this a try?
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- Daria
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8/12/2007, 2:54 am
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