When is Enough? Both articles “Just Do What the Pilot Tells You” written by Theodore Dalrymple and “The My Lai Massacre: A Military Crime of Obedience” written by Herbert C. Kelman and V. Lee Hamilton are linked together by the movie A Few Good Men. The article “My Lai Massacre” is about the My Lai Massacre that occurred during the Vietnam War in 1968. The article also includes the author's viewpoints on the military’s stance on the following order. The article “Just Do What the Pilot Tells You” is about how blind disobedience to authority is nonetheless more to be encouraged than blind disobedience. Dalrymple means this in a way that disobedience to authority isn’t more rewarding than obedience. Illegal orders and the outcomes that follow
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Dalrymple first comes out and references Milgram’s experiment and how almost every human being will listen to someone who is in power no matter what the order may be. Dalrymple later talks about a particular instance when he was sitting next to a women on a plane ride. The women has always been against all authority. The author tested her by asking her if the pilot should continue flying the plane rather than the author himself. She responded by saying, “In this instance his authority was necessary, though only for a short time” (Dalrymple 120). Dalrymple then writes about his younger life as a doctor’s assistant. Dalrymple worked with a very well experienced doctor who knew a lot more than he did. Even though she was more experienced than he was he felt that some orders didn’t seem right and could be altered in a different way. Dalrymple demonstrates this when he says “I sometimes questioned those orders, but in the end I obeyed them” …show more content…
They constantly kept mentioning that they are not guilty, and they were following orders they were given. This is demonstrated in the plea scene as well as the verdict scene of the movie, because both Dawson and Downey strongly believe that they were not wrong in the orders that were given. The whole concept of that those who are given orders don’t feel as if they’re responsible for the consequences of their actions is demonstrated in the article “Just Do What The Pilot Tells You”. Dalrymple describes that when he was a younger doctor he worked for a physician who didn’t always make the right choices in her occupation. She knew a lot more than Dalrymple, however he would always say “I was, of course, only obeying orders” (121). The author felt as if it was his job to order out these commands the experienced physician was giving him no matter what the scenario may be. This links with the plea deal scene in A Few Good Men and helps detail why Dawson and Downey didn’t feel as if they were doing anything bad. “The My Lai Massacre” article also helps describe why Dawson and Downey thought that they were innocent. Both Kelman and Hamilton explain that the people associated with the massacre were not charged with the murder, as it was in the case of Lt. Calley who was charged with the majority of the massacre. In A Few Good Men Dawson
Dalrymple first comes out and references Milgram’s experiment and how almost every human being will listen to someone who is in power no matter what the order may be. Dalrymple later talks about a particular instance when he was sitting next to a women on a plane ride. The women has always been against all authority. The author tested her by asking her if the pilot should continue flying the plane rather than the author himself. She responded by saying, “In this instance his authority was necessary, though only for a short time” (Dalrymple 120). Dalrymple then writes about his younger life as a doctor’s assistant. Dalrymple worked with a very well experienced doctor who knew a lot more than he did. Even though she was more experienced than he was he felt that some orders didn’t seem right and could be altered in a different way. Dalrymple demonstrates this when he says “I sometimes questioned those orders, but in the end I obeyed them” …show more content…
They constantly kept mentioning that they are not guilty, and they were following orders they were given. This is demonstrated in the plea scene as well as the verdict scene of the movie, because both Dawson and Downey strongly believe that they were not wrong in the orders that were given. The whole concept of that those who are given orders don’t feel as if they’re responsible for the consequences of their actions is demonstrated in the article “Just Do What The Pilot Tells You”. Dalrymple describes that when he was a younger doctor he worked for a physician who didn’t always make the right choices in her occupation. She knew a lot more than Dalrymple, however he would always say “I was, of course, only obeying orders” (121). The author felt as if it was his job to order out these commands the experienced physician was giving him no matter what the scenario may be. This links with the plea deal scene in A Few Good Men and helps detail why Dawson and Downey didn’t feel as if they were doing anything bad. “The My Lai Massacre” article also helps describe why Dawson and Downey thought that they were innocent. Both Kelman and Hamilton explain that the people associated with the massacre were not charged with the murder, as it was in the case of Lt. Calley who was charged with the majority of the massacre. In A Few Good Men Dawson