Cliff Krell Mary Wood Eng 032 13 June 2011 Do people have an obligation to help others in society?

In the essay, Thirty-eight who saw murder didnt call the police, Martin Gansberg reconstructs a crime. He gives the reader a detailed sequence of events that led to a young womans death. Gansberg describes how no one telephones the police during the assault and how the attacker returned twice to kill the young lady. For more than half an hour, thirty-eight people witness this tragic event and did nothing. Assistant Chief Inspector Frederick M. Lussen, was baffled, not by the murder, but because good people failed to respond and call the police. This raises the question; do people have an obligation to help others in society? I feel that you should do unto others as you would do unto yourself, even if it may cause harm to yourself. The reward for the deed you have done will go a long way. The one you have helped will appreciate it more than you can ever imagine. He or she could feel like they cannot thank you enough. They may even make many attempts to thank you and even ask if there is something they can do for you. Some people have a moral obligation to help others. These individuals may have taken a pledge or an oath to help others. People of the armed services have taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Police officers are held to a higher standard of moral obligations and ethical values then what is expected from the average person. Police officers take an oath to act ethical and judge fairly while performing their duties. Medical personnel have also taken an oath swearing to practice medicine ethically. This holds them accountable for their actions of helping one maintain a

Cliff Krell Mary Wood Eng 032 13 June 2011 healthy body both physically and mentally. These oaths help justify why there is an obligation to help others. Being a role model or a mentor helps one establish an obligation to help others. They are ones that people look up to for guidance and support. Role models and mentors obligation of helping others gives one the satisfaction of becoming a role model or mentor as well. That obligation of helping others helps one to become independent and free to help others. In closing, we really have to make sure that we are not forgetting those around us. We have to understand that we have been blessed to be in the successful positions that we are in and this blessing comes with an obligation to others. We cannot be selfish, but instead we always have to remain charitable. We are morally obligated to another, and we have to make sure that we honor this obligation in any way that we can.