On the fourth episode of “The Ethical Life,” Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss why trust is lacking in our society, both with our elected leaders and with each other, and why kindness might be the most important political virtue.
We discuss why the citizens of Flint, Mich., still are wary of drinking the water, even though officials says it’s finally safe, how needlessly regulating things such as frozen cherry pies make people skeptical of the role of government in our lives, and why journalism is important to keep people informed and to shine a light on corruption.
In addition, we talk about whether the right people are getting the COVID-19 vaccines first, and if politicians should be at the front of the line?
We also discuss a recent study that found adding context to controversial monuments does little to change people’s minds and the role confirmation bias plays in how we understand our past.
We highlight a recent article that demonstrates the importance of ethics in hospitals, when the number of people needing care exceeds the amount of care that can be provided.
On a lighter note, we talk about the recent push by Florida officials to promote the eating of python meat as a way to control this invasive species.
And stealing a page from another podcast, we discuss three conundrums of modern life.
Here are links to the articles mentioned in the podcast.
Flint Has Clean Water Now. Why Won’t People Drink It?, by Derek Roberts of Politico
The Trump administration’s latest deregulation target: Frozen cherry pie, by Emily Heil of The Washington Post
Only Seven of Stanford’s First 5,000 Vaccines Were Designated for Medical Residents, by Caroline Chen of ProPublica
Why Just ‘Adding Context’ to Controversial Monuments May Not Change Minds, by Erin Thompson of Smithsonian Magazine
Snake and eggs for breakfast? Florida may soon encourage you to eat invasive pythons, by Chris Jenkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel
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Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.
