Ethical Dilemma #3
Here is a Ethical Dilemma our teacher gave us.
Maria was worried about her good friend Pam. Pam was always talking about how fat she was and what she was trying to do about it. But the truth is that Pam was not at all fat. In fact, she was downright skinny. Since their freshmen year Pam had lost at least 15 pounds. Now, they were juniors and Maria was afraid that Pam had an eating disorder. Maria was also getting frustrated. Where were all the grown-ups? Who was watching out for Pam besides Maria and her friends?
Maria knew that someone from their school had talked to Pam’s parents last year, and that Pam’s mom had gotten angry about the school poking its nose into family business. Pam’s mom claimed that Pam had a dancer’s body and a high metabolism. That was last year. Now things were worse and Maria felt like she was literally watching her friend disappear.
Finally, one Monday afternoon Maria had had enough. As she watched Pam take three diet pills and eat four grapes for lunch she decided she had to do something. As helpless and scared as she felt now, how would it compare to how she would feel if Pam actually ended up in the hospital…or worse? Pam would be furious if she found out the Maria had talked to someone behind her back. So, Maria had two problems–should she tell someone how bad things were, and if so, whom should she go to?
Here are some questions that our teacher gave us.
1. Whom should she go to?
I think she should go to the principal or the teacher so that they can convice Maria to go to a counselor. She should go to a counselor to get help and tell someone her problems and why she is getting skinnier and skinnier.
2. Do you agree with Maria? Do you think she should tell someone about Pam?
I think that telling someone about Pam is the right thing to do because something really bad can happen to her. Like going to the hospital or fainting for no reason or having a really bad thing like dying happen to her.
3. If so, who do you think she should tell?
I think she should tell the principal or the teaher so that they can talk to the parents or Pam about thins problem.
4. What do you think Maria should say if Pam asks her if she told someone?
I think that Maria should tell her that she did tell someone and it was for her own good. If Pam didn’t say anything about it then she could have gotten really sick.
5. Have you ever been in a position like this? What happened? Would you make the same choices if you were in that position again?
No, I have never been in a postition like this and I wouldn’t want to be because I would be pressured to do things. I would have made the same choices that I wrote down.
- margaret
