ETHICAL ACTIVITY TITANIC

This exercise happened a few minutes before midnight on April 14, 1912. On her maiden voyage to New York, the luxury ocean liner Titanic struck an iceberg in North Atlantic. Of the more than 2,200 passengers and crew onboard, only about one third survived. Similarly, in this exercise you will find yourself on a sinking ship with just 13 passengers, and only 6 out of 13 individuals on your boat will survive. You are the captain of the ship, and you announce the following: "Please do not panic! The Ship has just hit an iceberg, and we are about to sink.

Since we will not sink for at least 40 minutes, you alone must decide who the 6 people are to survive.

You and your crew WILL NOT be saved as you and all signed an agreement that if the ship were to go down the passengers would be saved first.

Directions: Select the 6 people you believe should survive. After selecting the 6 people to go into the lifeboat then answer the following questions:

a. How did you determine who the 6 people would be?

b. How did your own personal values and beliefs effect your decision?

d. Are their people in our society who are more important than others? If so, who are they? Did this figure into your decision-making process?

g. Are their situation in real life where life and death decisions can be made about people solely based on their position or occupation? Provide examples.

1) Dr. Dane: 39, white, retired Army Colonel with a PHD in History, College Professor, good health, married, child, Bobby. Dr. Danes is active enjoys politics, no religious affiliation.

2) Mrs. Dane: 38, white, Jewish women, MA in physics, Counselor in Mental Health Clinic, good health, married with one child named Bobby. Mrs. Dane is active in the community.

3) Bobby Dane: 10, white Jewish boy, Special Ed classes, cognitive limitations, IQ of 55, good health, enjoys his pets.

4) Mr. Evans: 62, African American, Protestant, MA Elementary Education, teacher, divorced, 1 child, Mary, good health, cited as outstanding teacher, enjoys working with children.

5) Mary Evans: 8, Protestant, 3^rd grade, good health, excellent student

6) John Cloud: 13, Native American, good health, 8^th grader, honor student, very active with broad interests, father is an activist in Reservation Affairs.

7) Mr. Newton: 25, African American who claims to be an atheist, starting last year of Med school, suspended, good health, seems bitter, wears hippy clothes

8) Rita Moy: 19, Chinese American, college freshman, unmarried, 4 months pregnant, good health, enjoys music, has taken several electronic courses, grew up in the inner city.

9) Sister Mary Kathleen: 27, nun, college grad, English major, grew up in upper middle-class neighborhood, good health, father is a businessperson

10) Joe Blake: 51, white, Mormon, BS grad, mechanic, "Mr. Fixit" wife died a year ago, four children (not with him on the trip, first time away from his children since his wife died), good health, enjoys outdoors and working in his shop.

11) Sue Harris: 21, Spanish American, college senior, nursing major, good health, enjoys outdoor sports, likes people.

12) Father Franz: 37, white Catholic, college, plus seminary priest, active in civil rights, criticized for liberal views, good health, former college athlete.

13) Dr. Gonzales: 66, Spanish American, Catholic, medical doctor, general practitioner, has had two heart attacks in the past five years and continues to practice medicine.

List the 6 people that you chose