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From: bane@parcvax.Xerox.COM (John R. Bane)
Newsgroups: net.columbia,net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Escape tower for shuttle orbiter?
Message-ID: <269@parcvax.Xerox.COM>
Date: Thu, 27-Mar-86 12:36:33 EST
Article-I.D.: parcvax.269
Posted: Thu Mar 27 12:36:33 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 29-Mar-86 04:45:38 EST
References: <9696@ucla-cs.ARPA> <588@qantel.UUCP> <2593@genat.UUCP> <12665@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Distribution: net
Organization: Xerox PARC
Lines: 21
Keywords: life vs. megabucks
Xref: watmath net.columbia:2726 net.philosophy:4741
Summary: Fine - if it's the other guy

In article <12665@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>, desj@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (David desJardins) writes:
>[with respect to choosing between the orbiter and the astronauts lives] 
>    Yes, I mean it.  I have no reservations at all.  If it was my finger
> on the button I would push it with no hesitation.
>    And yes, I would tell them that the orbiter was more important than
> the astronaut's lives.  I think most of them would agree.  Maybe that is
> too optimistic of me, but certainly I think the astronauts themselves
> would agree.
>    -- David desJardins

 ... and what if it was YOUR life and someone else's finger? or maybe
your wife's life? or your children's?

And if you don't care, or consider it worth it, then you have no idea
of the life-long agony that would torture the person who DID "push the
button." I don't think I could bring myself to deliberately kill
innocent people (their only crime is to be stuck in malfunctioning
equipment), no matter how expensive that equipment is. Perhaps what
the world needs is not more love but more empathy!

			- rene