Ethical Issues and Moral Dilemmas

Ethical Issues and Moral Dilemmas
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Ethical Issues and Moral Dilemmas
1. Do you believe that thinking more clearly about ethical issues and moral dilemmas has any potential for helping you do what you consider to be the right thing?
Taking ample time to make critical choices and decisions can be very helpful and wise in dealing with moral dilemmas and ethical issues that one encounters in their everyday life. These situations often require the right thing to be done. It is imperative to note and understand that the individuals and bodies that are preordained to ensure that law and order are followed and implemented within a society or community every so often fail us. The people in charge of law tend to be lenient causing rules to be bent. It is important for one to be self-conscious about the consequences of the choices they desire to make.
2. In “Rethinking Ethics in Law Enforcement” Fitch states, “Officers’ peers offer friendship and informal rewards that, in many cases, hold greater influence than official recognition from the agency … [this] sense of community drives officers to adopt the behaviors, values, and attitudes of the group to gain acceptance”. He goes on to claim that, “officers engage in certain forms of conduct to secure and maintain peer-group approval” (p. 18).
Gaining approval from those we closely relate with can affect our moral thinking positively or negatively based on where the energy of influence is geared to. The fact that officers adjust to values, demeanors, and attitudes from their colleagues indicates the diversity that exists at respective workstations.

Human beings have a tendency of learning about their counterparts through socialization. They can change to new ways of life which can impact on them negatively or positively. Police officers that display efforts of courage are accorded with honorary rewards and their deeds recorded in historical moments. This is a good way of recognizing heroes within the society and encouraging everyone to aim at doing good. The moral of the officers is also boosted and they undoubtedly carry out their daily activities with moral ethics. Officers who are caught in the wrong acts should pay for it at a cost to avoid moral decay. Officers need stipulations about the standards required to be met and the penalties issued to lawbreakers. This will assist in shaping them into responsible individuals who will be self-driven in their work.
3. As a Christian, what do you think about the author’s view on behavioral influences and values?
Christians encounter all kinds of influences in their daily encounters. It is their duty to choose the right path guided by their religious beliefs when faced with temptations. They need to set good examples so that they can be emulated wherever they are (Fitch, 2011). Institutions should not let go of unethical deeds without handling them. Covering up cases for police officers makes people lose trust in their integrity. The whole department force becomes soiled up with a single heinous act yet there could be some loyal officers working there too.
4. Should loyalty to colleagues be fostered as an appropriate and necessary value?
Loyalty to colleagues is one of the major values that should be upheld to. However, wisdom is required in deciding on which grounds one is doing so. One may be compromised not to report unethical practices being conducted by their leaders for fear of being sacked. Intimidation often leads people to fall into the wrong company when they should have stood firm for what they uphold. Gino (2016) states that “Loyalty can be a drive of good behavior… when we are part of a group of loyal members, traits associated with loyalty, such as honor, honesty, and integrity, are very salient in our minds”. Loyalty often comes with a price to pay because it requires jumping out of the comfort zone of self-relief.
5. Is the code of silence justifiable in policing and corrections? Please explain.
People who work in the law department should be ready to report any misconduct that happens at their workplace. Failure to speak out leads a habit of the same acts which breeds a poor culture. Witnesses of these malpractices are as guilty as the accomplices because they are self-aware of the consequences. Codes of conduct should be well explained to everyone to help them work effectively with minimal supervision (Media, 2009).
6. Please read Deuteronomy 16 verses 18 – 20 and Psalm 106 verse 3. Please describe the importance of ensuring our Justice System is administered by Godly leaders who possess strong character, morals, and ethics to live and possess the land our Lord has given.
The Bible is not just an ordinary book but it has teachings about rightful ways of living. It has commands which God requires us to abide by. Officers in law enforcement are endowed with divine authority to govern their people. Responsibility follows suit where good examples need to be set without failure or compromise. A single failure by an officer leads to a thorough investigation among them to avoid spreading of the rot. The community loos up to the officers hoping they embrace all the lessons they received during training.
7. Please explain how a Biblical Worldview might lead to a different ethical approach for members of the criminal justice system. Please provide two examples.
Working within an environment with Biblical Worldview fosters the closeness of a person with God. Strengthening our relations with God is a booster since He provides unlimited guidance and support in our daily endeavors. An example includes behaving morally upright when carrying out an unlawful act. Honesty is a virtue highly encouraged in the Bible and it serves to direct someone on the right path. The second example is aiding someone in the law department without bias. This includes overcoming temptations such as accepting bribes before offering a certain service.
References
Fitch, B. (2011). Rethinking Ethics in Law Enforcement. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Volume 80, Issue 10. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/ehost/de tail/detail? sid =9be527a5-a11240e3c5bad4b8ed57cb%40sessionmgr400&vid=0&hid=4201&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3Qt bG12ZSZzY29wZ T1zaXRI#AN=66901535&db=a9h
Gino, F. (2016)/ If You’re Loyal to a Group, Does It Compromise Your Ethics? Retrieved May 19, 2018, from https://hbr.org/2016/01/if-youre-loyal-to-a-group-does-it-compromise-your-ethics
Media, S. (2009). The Importance of a Code of Conduct. accounting WEB, 41-45.