#ethical issues

[itsme-imtherealone]

How do they kiss when they all nose

[queerbrownvegan]

I visited an animal sanctuary 🤍

[pratchettquotes]

"...S'pose I was to say to you, Gytha Ogg, your house is on fire, what's the first thing you'd try to take out?"

Nanny bit her lip. "This is one of them personality questions, ain't it?" she said.

"That's right."

"Like, you try to guess what I'm like by what I say..."

"Gytha Ogg, I've known you all my life, I knows what you're like. I don't need to guess. But answer me, all the same."

"I reckon I'd take Greebo."

Granny nodded.

"'Cos that shows I've got a warm and considerate nature," Nanny went on.

"No, it shows you're the kind of person who tries to work out what the right answer's supposed to be," said Granny. "Untrustworthy. That was a witch's answer if I ever heard one. Devious."

Nanny looked proud.

Terry Pratchett, Maskerade

[mudwerks]

(via The Questionable Engineering of Oceangate - YouTube)

from Real Engineering:

an excellent look into details of the how and why of Oceangate

[sarcasticbabywhispererjess]

Looks like I’m in for another week of taking care of the brain dead baby I had the last time I worked. He’s worse off than before. They tried to extubating him on Monday... it didn’t last. They’re going to try again this Monday and I predict he’ll stay extubated for an even shorter period this time. His little fingers are contracting, his pupils are tiny and nonreactive, and besides some random movements at times, his tone is essentially flaccid. He also hardly ever overbreathes the set vent rate besides when stimulated, otherwise he rides it. Not great. According to the note I read the dad thinks he looks better. He needs to get glasses because this baby is deteriorating at quite a fast rate. I truly hope he just declares himself. It’ll be easier on the family so they don’t have to feel like they’re killing their baby (they’re not, they’re just letting nature take its course... though they don’t see it that way... yet, hopefully). The attending brought up a trach being necessary if he fails this extubation and I don’t know why on earth he even brought such a thing up. This child should not be trached. Sure, he can’t live without the vent, but he can’t do anything else either. We should not be torturing his body with a surgery that will not improve his quality of life, only prolong it.

Anyway, look at the cute new mask I made.

[tendervulture]

The whole concept behind Malefor creating Mekhitar is an interesting one. I don't think Mekhitar would be the first or even the last dragon made from crystal. If that's so then how would he react to meeting another dragon made by the same process?

HM! Well, it would depend on what stage of his life Mekhi met this other dragon. If he met them before he knew about Malefor’s crimes, he would, like most kids, go, “NEW FRIEND!” Afterwards, I dunno. I haven’t planned this out yet, so not coming up with a satisfactory answer for you is on me. Sorry, Anon. However, if Mekhi did meet another crystalcarved dragon, it would probably be an older adult, as crystalcarving has been banned on-and-off throughout dragon history. Shoot, I need to make another OC for Mekhitar to interact with!

However, I will say that Crystalcarving is an almost-lost art that was originally practiced by earth dragon communities in Malefor’s time, and it was most often used to create children for childless dragon couples. A crystal sculptor had to be incredibly skilled, as they had to match all the complexity of a real-life dragon in crystal. In addition, sometimes the animating process went wrong and hatchlings were born with partially crystallized horns and claws, or even internal organs. It could also lead to hatchlings not being able to use their element as they got older. There was also the ethical element of prospective parents abandoning their children if they didn’t turn out “perfect”, and this, among other ethical issues with creating life, is why crystalcarving has been banned several times throughout dragon history. This was the reason that Mekhitar was abandoned in the first place, as Malefor could sense that his son would never be able to use the elements like he could.

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[frontpagewoman]

Ya’ll...

[willowlark369]

Ethics & Endgame

When you have time travel and you have removed the Inevitability issue (past is immutable), then you are faced with an ethical issue concerning the future. You now have the ability to change the future. If you choose to allow bad things to happen, then you now bear some responsibility for them occurring.

You have the knowledge of evil; you have the ability to affect said evil; and you have elected to do nothing about said evil.

Regardless of what your reasoning is for doing nothing, that is what you have done. You had the ability to change things, and you decided that things were fine the way they were.

Congratulations on your participation, Rogers.