Flashback Friday

Emma is 23 months old here!  

We were packing up our apartment to get ready for a move!  

(December 11, 2005)

Hannah-isms

Hannah has always been one of those typical kids who says the funniest things!  Here are some of the things she has said recently!

"Maybe we can go to sleep when it gets dark outside like we did last night!"

Me:  Hannah, what are you doing?

Hannah: Santa Claus is having a birthday party!

Me: What do you girls want with your lunch - you need a fruit or a vegetable

Hannah: I can't have fruit because I'm allergic to boys!

Me: OK, go ahead and turn off the water

Hannah: I can't, my eyes are off!  (she had her eyes closed!)

Hypothetically...

So, I HATE hypothetical questions, like REALLY, REALLY HATE them!!  In my not-so-favorite-philosophy class this semester, we've encountered the topic of ethics and morals.  The following is the scenario I had to reply to for this weeks discussion board forum.  I am really curious to know your opinion and how you would respond - I included my response for you to read too!  Let your thoughts flow, I can't wait to read them!

 To Torture or Not to Torture?

You are a federal agent working for the Department of Homeland Security’s Counter-Terrorist Team (CTT).  Part of your duties involves the investigation of terrorist activities and the interrogation of suspected terrorists.  In recent weeks, the CTT has been investigating evidence that a large-scale terrorist attack is imminent in a major metropolitan area of the United States.  The threat level is very high and sources have confirmed that a major disaster is certain.  Until recently, CTT has not been able to discover the details of the attack including the city that is going to be targeted.

You just had a major breakthrough, however.  In a raid on a suspected terrorist cell group, a number of high level terrorist leaders have been arrested.  During their arrests, you have uncovered important details about the attack.   You discover that a thermo-nuclear weapon has been smuggled into the country and is planted in a major US city.  Though you don’t know the precise day or time of its detonation, the evidence indicates that it will be soon. 

In an effort to get more information, you are assigned to interrogate the leader of the terrorist cell.  You have been authorized to use whatever means necessary to achieve your goal.  After hours of interrogation you have learned little.  He has confirmed that there is a nuclear bomb and that it will go off very soon.  In fact, he has boasted about it, but he has refused to tell you where it is located.  You can tell he is resolved not to reveal its location and no amount of pain you inflict on him will get him to change his mind.

However, along with capturing the terrorist, you have also captured his family, including his seven-year-old daughter.  While you are convinced he can withstand torture himself, you are also convinced that if you torture his daughter in front of him he will break down in time to tell you the location of the nuclear device.  While you are not certain of these two facts, your experience in interrogation tells you that there is an extremely high degree of probability that this will be successful in time to keep the bomb from exploding.  You simply do not have time to seek another alternative. However, you cannot fake the torture of the girl – he will not be convinced unless he actually sees you torture her and hears her screams. 

You bring the daughter into the room and strap her into a chair.  You light a cigarette lighter and prepare to hold the flame against her skin.

In approximately 250 words, write what you think is the morally appropriate response to the situation. You are not allowed to alter this scenario in any manner. Be sure to offer the reasons for your actions.  In your response, you may not change the scenario.

MY REPLY

 I’ve gone back and forth on this a few times and am still not sure where I stand:  on one hand you have the life of an innocent 7 year old girl who doesn’t deserve to be tortured for something her father is doing, yet how many lives are at stake verses the torture (which could amount to something small) of one person, albeit a child?  The book mentions cultural relativism, and how our “moral practices vary with and depend on human needs and social conditions” (p19).  So, under this situation when the lives of a major portion of the population are at stake, it seems that this would be a practical application of a moral practice. But, does it change because we are now involving a child? Would there even be a question if we were questioning his 7-year old son? What about his wife or brother?  At what point is the line drawn?  The diversity thesis discusses that “moral practices and beliefs do in fact vary from culture to culture and at different times in history, and none are universal” (p19).  There isn’t mention of the race of this particular terrorist, but certain societies in the Middle East place no value in women, let alone daughters.  How am I to be sure that this man will crack if I torture his daughter?  Is he “Americanized” enough to place value on his daughter so that only burning her arm will cause him to crack or will his cultural teaching or perhaps reasoning for his bombing outweigh the value of his daughter? 

I think all in all, I could not torture the daughter and it may be because I am so far away from the position of the CTT that I could not imagine being put in that situation.  Maybe, working in that environment and truly understanding the risks and responsibilities of my job, I would choose differently.  I could choose to begin burning the child in a place that would not be as life-altering physically, such as the bottom of her feet.  But as a mother and Christian, I would hope that no member of our government would choose to torture a helpless child and do anything and everything in their power to get the information a different way. 

So... what would you do/say???

Never say these things to me!

I found this article in this month's Redbook and LOVED it!  I still get grief for "not working" and found this a humorous article in response!

10 Things NEVER To Say To... A Stay-At-Home-Mom!

 

1. When the kids are older, do you think you'll get a real job?

2. How June Cleaver of you!

3. Oh, so you don't work?

4. Since you have extra time on your hands, could you whip up a few dozen brownies for the bake sale tomorrow?

5. All day with your kids? I can't even imagine.

6. I'm jealous.  I wish my husband were rich so I wouldn't have to work either.

7. What do you do all day, anyway?

8. I'm sure you're not the only one who's ever wasted money on a college degree.

9. That explains why your son is so clingy!

10. Weird. I assumed your house would be superclean.

Monday Meal Plan

I haven't done this in a few weeks because we've been super busy and have ended up eating out with Matt's family, scrapping what was planned and eating something quick or warming up unexpected leftovers.  But now that the fridge is officially bare, I've had come up with our meal plan so I can hit the grocery store!

• Pop's Pizza - Our favorite pizza that my Dad taught me to make that his Mom taught him to make.  I've made a few changes to make it my own and the girls really look forward to me making it!
• Chicken Tacos - slow cooked on the stove all day so that they shred easily, YUM!
• Pancakes, Sausage, Eggs - breakfast for dinner is a staple in our house!
• Fried pork chops, fried potatoes, biscuits and gravy - a good ol' country dinner finished up with cornbread!
• Turkey Burgers, Fries, Baked Beans, Side Salad 
• Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice - if it's good, I'll post the recipe!

The Time Has Come

The time has come to buy a new family vehicle!  There are lots of mixed emotions in our household as we are super excited to get something new (new to us, that is!) from this century with lots of neat features, oh and something that is safe and reliable!  We brought home a 2006 Toyota Sienna on Friday and I have fallen in love!  Sure, there is a certain stigma that comes with having a minivan, but I'm 100% comfortable and confident in our new van, plus both the girls will be playing soccer at some point this year :)  We really needed the room and room she has!  It seats 7, has a ton of leg room, a sunken trunk, the middle row has bucket seats rather than a bench and both the 2nd and 3rd row fold down for more storage room - oh and did I mention it has 14 cup holders!

But with the purchase of our van comes the goodbye of our 1993 Ford Explorer.  Matt bought it June 13, 2006 with only 184,773 miles on it for $2,000 (it did have a new transmission to make up for the amount of miles on it).  We parked it today for the final time with 284,843 reliable miles on it - over the last almost five years she lasted long enough to allow us to drive 100,070 miles.  Matt took exceptional care of her, doing every oil and filter change himself every 3,000 miles, and replacing the brakes himself too!  We only had a few minor repairs that ever had to be done.  Once we got a commuter car for Matt (he drives 70 miles one way to work), the truck quit being driven so much and we're pretty sure that is what kept her going so long.  

There are lots of memories created and we're both sad to see it taken away.  

• This was Matt's first major car purchase
• We took our first dates with each other in the truck (we even spent the night in the back of it once)
• It carried all of Matt's things when he moved in with me
• It helped us move things when we moved into our next couple of homes together
• It protected me when I did an almost 360 in the rain at 65 mph
• It brought Hannah home from the hospital
• It has seen Hannah go from an infant car seat, to a convertible car seat all the way to a booster and from a convertible seat for Emma to a booster seat
• It drove us away for the first time after becoming husband and wife
• It took Matt to work during the 3 blizzards last winter

Today, someone is coming to tow the truck away.  Even though she is still running and would last longer, we're just not comfortable selling it to anyone.  Over the last few weeks the transmission started slipping and we don't want anyone to get hurt or in an accident in it.  So even though we have to say goodbye to a cherished friend, we'll always have the memories and as we begin a new adventure in our car, we look forward to many more memories to be made!

Our trusty truck for the last 5 years!

Matt sitting in it for the last time!

284843.1 miles and still (kind of) going!

100 Days of School

Thursday was Emma's 100th day of First Grade!  She had to make a poster with 100 things on it or collect some things in baggies and bring them in!  She chose to make something with a poster board and use some of Mommy's scrapbooking tools! 

She had to use groups of 1's, 5's and/or 10's.  She went with 10 groups of hearts!  She was very proud of her poster!