So I was reading the book "Velocity" by Dean Koontz. It presents quite an interesting moral dilema.

A man walks out of a bar and sees a note attatched to the windsheild of his car. It reads something like this:

"If you don't take this note to the police, I will kill a lovely blonde school teacher.

If you do take this note to the police, I will kill an elderly woman who does a lot of chairty work.

You have 6 days to make a decision. "

So what would you do in this situation

***PLEASE NOTE***

There is no way for you to weasel out of this. Throwing the note away or turning it into a different authority DOES NOT change the fact that you didn't turn the note into the police. Turning the note into yourself if you are a cop IS STILL taking the note to the police. Thank you.

Easy, the school teacher. Why? Well, I assume she is young and kids will probably be devastated is she dies.
The elderly woman is old so she probably wont live too much, as for the charity I can take care of it. bah, not only me but I'll probably has help from my family, friends, neighbours and folks at work.

This dilemma seems like an easy choice. You save the school teacher. Not only has the elderly woman more than likely had a full life to live, but she has done and achieved most of the things she has wanted to. On top of this, the young teacher has the potential and the possibility to not only mold young minds into the leaders of tomorrow, but the fact she is young means she has plenty of experiences she has yet to experience. It just seems more fair and more logical this way, IMO.

If they are not his relatives or friends why 2 care 4 them. He don’t even know them. If he sow no interest the evil (death note) writer wont bother him again.

Quite frankly..... I really wouldn't care about who dies. I never cared much for other people anyway. So unfortunately, the person who would die would most likely be the teacher since I wouldn't waste time taking the note to the police. Besides, in the end it was not my fault, so I could continue to live my life guilt-free.

Technically it would be your fault because you were made aware of the situation and did nothing to prevent it. I believe in America there is a law about being a "good citizen" and aiding those in need. It's not a law that is enforced often in a country filled with corruption everywhere, but it is an actual law. You're almost an accessory at that point if you do nothing to stop it.

I would choose to save the School Teacher, she is younger and the older lady is probably going to die soon anyways and she had more life to live out. But I'd not wanna kill either really, but if I had to choose... I guess that. The old lady probably hopefully had a good life.. But I dunno, I guess that.

This is an interesting question. When it comes right down to it, you have to decide whose life is more valuable, and I don't think anyone should really have the right to do that. Unfortunately, like many choices that pose a similar situation(the value of a life), a decision must be made. I suppose the people above make good arguments, and are no doubt logical. In fact, as long as look at it from their perspective, it isn't terribly hard(not to say it's easy, but by justifying as you all did, it becomes easier, which is the whole point of justification). However, if you over think it, and try to think of it from everyone's perspective(including those close to the people about to die), you'll begin to understand the heartache that everyone around them will feel. But, I suppose that's the benefit of being some outside the immediate effects of the situation.

And this paragraph is why I'd have a hard time making this decision, I over think when it comes to the value of human life. For example, a similar question where you must decide between your life, and someone else's, it took me forever to decide. Basically my thought process was this: First, I said "save the other person", thinking, I could never live with the guilt. Then I said "save me", thinking, I don't even know the person, and though I would feel terrible, I believe I may be able to get over it. After that, I said "save the other person", because, what right do I have to say my life has more value than there's(especially if it came to someone I barely knew). Then, I thought, on the same reasoning, I may not be able to say my life is more valuable than theirs, but I also can't rightly say their life is more valuable than mine. Finally I decided, "save the other person", simply because I feel OK with death.

Now, I'm not saying I want to die, hell no, just the opposite. However, I have an inquisitive mind, and though there is much more for me to learn here, I wouldn't mind seeing what happens after death(if anything, I know it's a risk). But, who knows, I've never been in a situation like that before. These are all thoughts based on long periods of time, with nothing ushering me towards an end. Maybe if it were to happen, I'd think differently.

Sorry if I got a little off topic :)

I think I will take the note to the police, and explain to the police what the situation is, and then have them take it from there. And I would suppose that the killer who wrote the note will be caught and shot first before the elderly woman is killed.

Either way, the person who wrote the note is going to get his/hers in a hurry. There's no escaping the long arm of the law.

The long and short of my course of action...It all depends on the situation.

I'd see who's better: I mean, for example, what if the schoolteacher isn't nice to her kids? Or else, what if the old lady's motives for charity aren't so honorable, like what if she's doing it just to boost her image or something? Far-fetched, I'll grant you, but possible. I'd consider WHY the guy wants to kill them first.
Agh, this may sound nasty, but it's more like choosing who DESERVES to live.

Its hard choice... errrmm ...save elderly woman ... or maybe school teacher... hmm save elderly woman yes elderly woman because she helps people

But guys!! You've failed to notice one more little problem with this. You have no idea where in the world this blonde school teach or elderly woman are. One could be in china, the other, in bangladesh. It's not like the police could do anything to save them, and its not like you could get to know these people and then decide.

pinkangelkitty

But guys!! You've failed to notice one more little problem with this. You have no idea where in the world this blonde school teach or elderly woman are. One could be in china, the other, in bangladesh. It's not like the police could do anything to save them, and its not like you could get to know these people and then decide.

would you live with that on your soul?

smoon

pinkangelkitty

But guys!! You've failed to notice one more little problem with this. You have no idea where in the world this blonde school teach or elderly woman are. One could be in china, the other, in bangladesh. It's not like the police could do anything to save them, and its not like you could get to know these people and then decide.

would you live with that on your soul?

Haven't got much of a choice do you? You are forced to make a decision no matter what. Are you just going to commit suicide because you don't know what to do? I don't think so.

pinkangelkitty

smoon

pinkangelkitty

But guys!! You've failed to notice one more little problem with this. You have no idea where in the world this blonde school teach or elderly woman are. One could be in china, the other, in bangladesh. It's not like the police could do anything to save them, and its not like you could get to know these people and then decide.

would you live with that on your soul?

Haven't got much of a choice do you? You are forced to make a decision no matter what. Are you just going to commit suicide because you don't know what to do? I don't think so.

LOl!! I won't, lately I'm a very slefish person I just care my family and no one else