Ethics Scenario

[_Mister Scratch]

If you want to apologize, you can apologize for making death threats,

I'm sorry I want to kill you.

Why do you want to kill me, my dear boy?

and for generally acting like a putz.

I try not to be ashamed of who I am.

Well, given the fact that you no longer use your dorky-looking old avatar, I guess we can assume that you haven't had much success.

You can also apologize for lying to us about your masturbation addiction,

Lie about my what now? You wouldn't know anything about my habits in this area unless you have me under surveillance or have an informant peeking in my windows. Your obsession with this is deeply disturbing.

You admitted on a different thread that you'd graduated from an LDS-run anti-porn and -masturbation clinic. Further, your old av just screamed "obsessive wanker."

and confess that you frequently get very angry and upset over the exchanges that happen on this board.

Nope, has happened once or twice in several years but not frequently.

Oh, okay. Well, hey---at least your willing to admit it.

I wouldn't want your career to be limited to the nightshift at Whataburger for another ten years so I cannot in good conscience let you leave. by the way, good luck at getting that assistant night manager post.

Well, gee whiz. Not that I work at "Whataburger" (is that a real place?), but aren't you a technical writer? Does that really give you much room to talk?

[_The Nehor]

Why do you want to kill me, my dear boy?

Boredom mostly.

Well, given the fact that you no longer use your dorky-looking old avatar, I guess we can assume that you haven't had much success.

By this standard anyone who doesn't use their actual face as their avatar is ashamed of themselves. I can understand why you would be ashamed of yourself but I don't think everyone else in that situation is ashamed.

You admitted on a different thread that you'd graduated from an LDS-run anti-porn and -masturbation clinic. Further, your old av just screamed "obsessive wanker."

Yes, I did. I admitted to attending a clinic in a state I've never lived in. See a problem here? Could I have been joking? I find it deeply disturbing that you consider yourself such a brilliant success on discerning masturbation habits by appearance. Where did you get your sample set? Postings on Craigslist?

Oh, okay. Well, hey---at least your willing to admit it.

I admitted it then brainiac.

Well, gee whiz. Not that I work at "Whataburger" (is that a real place?), but aren't you a technical writer? Does that really give you much room to talk?

I forgot they don't have Whataburger in Utah. My mistake.

I'm happy with my job. I make a great living, work from home, and save a fortune in gas money. What do you do exactly?

[_The Nehor]

I know you didn't actually ask me for an apology but I would like to apologize for looking down on you as a deranged lunatic. You are a deranged lunatic but that's no reason for me to be condescending....at least not much.

The Nehor,

I know you didn't ask for an apology but I would like to apologize for looking down on you as a dupe. Clearly, you are a dupe, but that's no reason for me to be condescending...at least not much.

Apology accepted though I dispute that I am a dupe. Hopefully this will lead to a new era of understanding and mutual cooperation.

[_Yoda]

The worst story I heard involved him grabbing a kid, throwing him onto the hood of his truck, and screaming in his face for ten minutes before he let the teen go and went and asked the staff member, "we're cool, right. You didn't see anything."

This just makes me sick to my stomach. Frankly, Eric, I think that ANY parent, Church member or not, who heard THIS story, would either yank their kid out of that place immediately, or be scared to send their kid there.

THIS is your story, Eric. This has MUCH more impact than whether or not someone had an affair and was excommunicated from a Church. I mean....let's face it....in the real world....someone has an affair...who the hell cares? It happens every day.

Now....the fact that someone who is a top official with an organization that is supposed to help children, and is abusing children, and asking other staff to lie about it.....THAT is the kind of thing that is going to destroy this place's reputation.

[_truth dancer]

Hi Liz,

This just makes me sick to my stomach. Frankly, Eric, I think that ANY parent, Church member or not, who heard THIS story, would either yank their kid out of that place immediately, or be scared to send their kid there.

We would think this but no, evidence by several members right here on this board who think the MG is a great place for difficult children. And, of course GoodK's mother and step-father left him there for years.

There are plenty of people who know what is going on in the MG... parents, leaders, LDS church officials and community members.

~td~

[_Yoda]

Hi Liz,

This just makes me sick to my stomach. Frankly, Eric, I think that ANY parent, Church member or not, who heard THIS story, would either yank their kid out of that place immediately, or be scared to send their kid there.

We would think this but no, evidence by several members right here on this board who think the MG is a great place for difficult children. And, of course GoodK's mother and step-father left him there for years.

There are plenty of people who know what is going on in the MG... parents, leaders, LDS church officials and community members.

~td~

What I don't understand, though, TD, is that this type of behavior is massively illegal. Why in the hell hasn't it been shut down? Why hasn't social services become involved? Harmony and I have both asked this question on multiple occasions and have yet to receive an answer.

I applaud what Eric is trying to do. I just don't understand why legal action has not come crashing down on this place. This is child abuse, for “F”'s sake!!!!

[_GoodK]

What I don't understand, though, TD, is that this type of behavior is massively illegal. Why in the hell hasn't it been shut down? Why hasn't social services become involved? Harmony and I have both asked this question on multiple occasions and have yet to receive an answer.

I applaud what Eric is trying to do. I just don't understand why legal action has not come crashing down on this place. This is child abuse, for f***'s sake!!!!

I think it has to do with the people involved, and the town it is in. God knows I've tried to contact social services and the agency responsible for licensing the MG, to no avail.

[_Yoda]

What I don't understand, though, TD, is that this type of behavior is massively illegal. Why in the hell hasn't it been shut down? Why hasn't social services become involved? Harmony and I have both asked this question on multiple occasions and have yet to receive an answer.

I applaud what Eric is trying to do. I just don't understand why legal action has not come crashing down on this place. This is child abuse, for f***'s sake!!!!

I think it has to do with the people involved, and the town it is in. God knows I've tried to contact social services and the agency responsible for licensing the MG, to no avail.

What answers did they give you, Eric? What did they tell you?

How much evidence do they need to throw someone in jail for child abuse? Photos of bruises? What?

[_Daniel Peterson]

I do think it's time for the innuendo and false accusations against you to stop.

So do I. But they won't:

Nope. He actually has to apologize and express regret. And he very much did do nasty things on skinny-l, smear Mike Quinn, attack Robert Ritner, and so on.

QED.

What do you think the moral high ground is, when a professor at Brigham Young University has, on more than one occasion, actively sought out ways to cause harm in my real life?

Do you know his name? Have you sought a restraining order against him? Please tell me who this person is, who has repeatedly sought to harm you, and I'll have a chat with him. Do you have any idea why this vicious person feels such ill will towards you? I really can't think of any reason. Even though you've falsely accused me of doing terrible things and insulted me in various ways, I feel no ill will toward you whatever. What's this other guy's excuse?

I, personally, don't pretend to talk to God

Excellent. It's definitely bad to pretend to talk to God.

don't gossip about the sex lives of historians on the Internet

Another admirable quality. I think that would be wholly inappropriate.

don't break ecclesiastical confidentiality subtly in a manner that poisons the well

And I doubt that you do it in any other manner, either -- particularly since (unless I'm mistaken) you hold no ecclesiastical positions at all, whether requiring confidences or not. (But I shouldn't treat this lightly. Breaking ecclesiastical confidences is a very inappropriate thing to do. We agree on this, and on so many other things, too!)

don't try and expose the real identities of message board posters

Again, I commend you for this excellent policy. We agree on it.

I believe DCP deserves far worse than he gets here.

I'm afraid we disagree on this one.

However, it's interesting that you think Some Schmo, PP/College Terrace, Count Joey, Mister Scratch, poor antishock8, and the like don't get enough posts here. Do you have a plan, perhaps, to encourage them to be more productive? I can't say that I think the board really suffers from a lack of solomarineris posts or a deficiency in notes from Infymus or Mercury, but there's no disputing about taste.

[_rcrocket]

Liz:

I'm curious as to why you take Goodk's stories at face value? Don't they strike you as absurd?