There were a number of incidents in the news this past week, all of them troubling, that raise a number of questions. Some of those questions touch on the issue of ethics. See where you land on these recent news episodes.

• Sonny Hostin of the popular gabfest The View has always maintained that black people in this country, including herself, are owed reparations for slavery that took place several centuries ago. Ms. Hostin reportedly earned $1.6 million dollars a year from her TV show gig. Yet, as black woman, she believes she is entitled to tax-payer funded money in the form of reparations. However, she recently found out that one of her ancestors wasn’t a slave, but a slave holder. While that surprised her, she publicly stated she is still entitled to financial reparations. What are your thoughts on the ethics on that?
• An organization known as Woke Kindergarten puts on classes to teach 5- and 6-year-olds to become Left-wing activists. The leader of this organization is a woman named Akiea Gross, who uses the pronouns “they/them.” Recently, Ms. Gross made the following public statement about the United States: “I believe the United States has no right to exist. I believe every settler colony who has committed genocide against native peoples, against Indigenous people, has no right to exist.” She went on, speaking directly to American citizens: “Y’all the demons. Y’all are the villains. We’ve been trying to end y’all. Get free of y’all.” Given that Ms. Gross lives in a country she hates, and given that she earns a living in the country she hates, and given that she considers its citizens demons who she claims she is actively trying to “end,” is it ethical for her to remain in this country and be paid a salary while holding such views?  If so, it is ethical for schools to give Ms. Gross access to our young children so she can attempt to indoctrinate them to hate America?
• In the state of Washington, government officials were given $4.4 billion in federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act. This money was given for the purpose of assisting that state with their response and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. News just surfaced that Washington state officials diverted $340 million of that money to a program that sent over 340,000 checks to illegal aliens, worth $1,000 per check. (Illegal aliens are not legally allowed to receive federal money during the pandemic due to their immigration status). What are the ethical implications of Washington state officials having done this?
• And in our nation’s capital, crime is spiraling out of control. Robberies, assaults, and other violent crime are skyrocketing. Yet the Attorney General Brian Schwalb (who is essentially the top law enforcement official there) recently came out and explained why he routinely allows criminals to walk free with no bail let alone no jail time. He said that if residents wish to be “safer in the long run,” they must take preventative measures rather than have him arrest and prosecute violent criminals. He actually said, “We cannot prosecute and arrest our way out of it.” Is it ethical for Washington DC’s top law enforcement official to remain in his position when he has admitted he won’t be willing to prosecute or arrest dangerous criminals? What are the ethical considerations involved here?

Would love to hear you weigh in on this. . .

And that, my friends, is the latest elephant in the room.