“Her booty looked so good, I just couldn’t resist touching it.”
—-18 year old Floridian Aaron Morris, who was arrested and charged for fondling the buttocks of the woman ahead of him in line at the local Wal-Mart.
Just 11 words, yet such an eloquent discourse on the ethical reasoning abilities of so many Americans! Bravo, Aaron!
In those 11 words, he summed up the mindset of an ethics-free life. He molested a stranger because he wanted to. She didn’t matter, her dignity didn’t matter, her embarrassment didn’t matter. As a citizen, he was either ignorant of the law against battery (any touching of another without permission is battery, and has been for centuries) or contemptuous of it. His simple, selfish, impulsive action violated the Golden Rule, as well as nearly every other ethical principle. It was unfair, disrespectful, irresponsible, and uncaring. It violated the basic bonds of trust between strangers in a community.
At least Aaron was honest about it.
That’s something to build on.
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Facts: Sun-Sentinel
Graphic: BS Report
Ethics Alarms attempts to give proper attribution and credit to all sources of facts, analysis and other assistance that go into its blog posts. If you are aware of one I missed, or believe your own work was used in any way without proper attribution, please contact me, Jack Marshall, at jamproethics@verizon.net.

Next, “His face was so ugly I couldn’t resist punching it.” Or. from a teacher “he/she was so snotty and obnoxious I couldn’t resist slapping him/her.”
I’ve had two 30-40ish women touch my hair without asking while I was at work. I would bend down to grab something, my ponytail would go over my shoulder and they would comment on it and reach out to touch it.
Now, I don’t REALLY mind someone touching my hair, but… it IS part of my body. If they had touched my arm or something, I think the breach of protocol would have been clearer. I can touch my coworkers so long they’re comfortable with it (and by touch, I mean literally just tapping them on the shoulder or arm to make the point that it could be permissible).
I told both ladies, “you can touch my hair. You don’t even have to ask. Just say ‘I’m going to touch your hair now’ and go for it. Just let me know you’re going to.” I think it’s the notion that she didn’t have to say a THING is the only thing that bothered me.
One girl remarked on my hair and said immediately, “Your hair looks so soft, can I touch it?” SInce she asked, I allowed it. It doesn’t bother me and I guess she got something out of it.
I just wish someone COULD touch my hair. Or FIND my hair.
If they find yours let me know, maybe they can find mine.