In this essay, I will discuss the ethical considerations Bowen H. McCoy faced while on sabbatical in Nepal. Am I biased? I grew up in a home that valued life. My grandfather served in World War II, he made it clear every day above ground was a damn good day, my father was a cop, my mother a nurse. They worked with people facing the greatest challenges/tragedies of their lives almost daily. I worked for EMS in New York City, served in the military, and searched for bodies at ground zero. I had to look their loved ones in the eyes and tell them they were dead. Then, watch the life drain from those same eyes as they processed what they were told. Yep, I’m biased.
The focus will be on Bowen and his climbing partner Stephan. …show more content…
Who are we to set limits on the value of someone’s life? Bowen McCoy writes, “How do you feel about contributing to the death of a fellow man?” (McCoy, 104). This is what Stephan said to Bowen when they met near the summit. That single quote clearly shows they knew the consequences of their indifference. Ultimately the Sherpas worked for them, the hike was not mandatory and, they had ultimate power over that situation. We discussed this in class but this is a good point to revisit it, especially since something similar was discussed by Bowen and Stephan in the article, what if that was his child, spouse, or co-worker? Would he leave them? Of course not. Would they be outraged if someone abandoned their loved one on a mountain when it wasn’t necessary? Of course. The decision made was selfish and unethical. In my world, you never turn your back on someone, you never leave someone behind. The mountain will be there another day for another sabbatical. If it’s not? Tough… “Take a trip to The Magic Kingdom” (Keaveny, …show more content…
McCoy faced while on sabbatical in Nepal. Am I biased? I grew up in a home that valued life. My grandfather served in World War II, he made it clear every day above ground was a damn good day, my father was a cop, my mother a nurse. They worked with people facing the greatest challenges/tragedies of their lives almost daily. I worked for EMS in New York City, served in the military, and searched for bodies at ground zero. I had to look their loved ones in the eyes and tell them they were dead. Then, watch the life drain from those same eyes as they processed what they were told. Yep, I’m