Grappling with the Gray #61: A life for a life?

Grappling with the Gray

Are we willing to confront the apparent inconsistencies of our own beliefs? If you don't think so, then this episode may not be for you.
Ethics requires us to ask ourselves difficult questions and consider answers that might make us uncomfortable.
Fortunately, I was able to find three guests who have the courage to do just that as the panel convenes to Grapple with the Gray.
Here is the scenario we’ll be discussing:
Two of the most contentious issues today are abortion rights and capital punishment. Abortion advocates are willing to take the life of unborn children to protect the well-being of the mother. Capital punishment advocates are willing to take the life of violent criminals to protect the well-being of society.
According to the Wall Street Journal, there is virtually no correlation between support for abortion rights and support for capital punishment, or vice versa. How can we understand two groups so deeply divided, with many endorsing the taking of life on the one hand while condemning it on the other?
A 2022 opinion piece in the Daily Iowan asserted that both pro-life and pro-capital punishment advocates suffer from a lack of empathy. Can this charge be defended more than the reverse?
One columnist in the Daily Beast argued that we should take into consideration the social and environmental causes that contribute to violent crime. Many argue that capital punishment is cruel and unusual, although one could argue back that incarceration among other violent criminals might be more so.
Is it hypocritical to hold these seemingly conflicting views on the sanctity of life? If so, does the hypocrisy flow in both directions?
Meet this week’s panelists:
🔆 Anne Nevel, CAE is the Vice President of Education for a trade association and enjoys connecting the right people to the right projects to promote successful collaboration and partnership.
🟦 Mark O'Brien is founder and principal of O’Brien Communications Group, a B2B brand-management and marketing-communications firm — and host of The Anxious Voyage, a syndicated radio show about life’s trials and triumphs.
Annette Simmons is a speaker, trainer, consultant, and author of The Story Factor -- named one of the 100 Best Business Books of All Time.
#ethics #values #culture #politics #grappling