Grappling with the Gray #66: Enough blame to go around?

Grappling with the Gray

When everyone is guilty, is no one guilty?
That's what the ethics panel will be grappling with on this episode of Grappling with the Gray.
Here's our scenario:
Ronald Opus attempted to commit suicide by jumping off the top floor of a ten story building. What he did not know was that construction workers had placed a net at the first floor level to catch falling debris, which would have saved the jumper’s life.
However, on his way down, a shotgun blast through an apartment window struck and killed Ronald Opus. Police discovered that an elderly man had been threatening his wife with the shotgun but missed her when he fired the weapon.
Further investigation uncovered that the husband routinely threatened his wife when he was angry, but that he always kept the gun unloaded. A witness was found who saw the couple’s son loading the shotgun several days earlier after an argument about the son being written out of the will.
The medical examiner struggled over whether the death should be legally ruled a suicide, a homicide, manslaughter, or accidental death. From an ethical perspective, who bears responsibility for the death of Ronald Opus?
Meet this week’s panelists:
Catherine Fitzgerald is a writer, speaker, certified coach, and founder of Brass Tacks With Heart executive coaching. She helps founders, owners, and C-Suite Executives and their teams to build businesses that fuel their lives, not consume them.
Dr. Jenna Ross is a doctor of performance psychology, a former Army National Guard Drill Sergeant, adjunct professor, mental health advocate, and podcast host.
Dr. Eric Zabiegalski is a technical and organization consultant, professor of HR management, and author of Unthink: All you have to do is Nothing.
#ethics #perspective #culture #values #grappling