Questions How do the basic human rights defined in Chapter 1—free consent, priva
ID: 336041 • Letter: Q
Question
Questions
How do the basic human rights defined in Chapter 1—free consent, privacy, freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, and due process—apply to professional football players and the safety risks described here?
Will making football players' jobs safe achieve the ethical goal of the greatest good for the greatest number of people? Why or why not? Is there an ethical level of safety in football?
THINKING ETHICALLY HOW CAN YOU ETHICALLY DESIGN A DANGEROUS JOB? The most popular professional sport in the United States is football, but the future of the National Football League (NFL) is uncertain. Behind the doubts about football's future is new scientific evidence suggesting that injuries sustained by football players are more serious than had previously been thought. Winning a game requires aggressive play, including head collisions. Sometimes the result is a major concussion, known to be serious. But scientists have observed a link between taking less-severe hits day in and day out and a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). With CTE, the brain's repeated contact with the skull causes the formation of abnormal protein tangles. People with CTE suffer from headaches, memory loss, episodes of anger, and suicidal tendencies A group of players and their families have sued the NFL for covering up the dangers of concussions in the past. They say the league formed a committee to investigate the consequences of these injuries but downplayed the long-term dangers it learned about. The plaintiffs are seeking a settlement of $5 billion to be paid out over 25 years. One of the lawyers points out that for a business earning $9 billion a year, it could be seen as reasonable to compensate former players who are disabled by brain injuries sustained on the job Meanwhile, the NFL has tried modifying players' jobs by creating new rules for the game. The rules include requiring knee pads to reduce knee-to-head collisions and moving kick-offs up five yards to reduce the number of returns. Another change is that players will have fewer full-contact workouts during the preseason. In addition, when players experience symptoms associated with concussions, they may not return to play or practice until they have been cleared by a neurologist who is not affiliated with their team. These changes may reduce the injuries to players, but some players are concerned the changes will make the game less appealing to fans Questions 1. How do the basic human rights defined in Chapter 1-free consent, privacy, freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, and due process-apply to professional football players and the safety risks described here? 2. Will making football players' jobs safe achieve the ethical goal of the greatest good for the greatest number of people? Why or why not? Is there an ethical level of safety in football? Sources: William Weinbaum and Steve Delsohn, "Dorsett, Others Show Signs of CTE, ESPN Outside the Lines, April 5, 2014, http:llespn.go.com; Joseph Serna, "Study Finds Chronic Brain Damage in Former NFL Players," Los Angeles Times, January 22, 2013, http articles.latimes.com; Paul M. Barrett, "Pain Point," Bloomberg Businessweek, January 13, 2013, //www.businessweek.com; Mark Fainaru-Wade, Jim Avila, and Steve Fainaru, "Doctors: Junior Seau's Brain Had CTE," Outside the Lines, ESPN, January 11, 2013, http:/lespn.go.com.Explanation / Answer
1. In order to relate to the basic human rights we could discuss the situation of football players against each of the items.
Looking at these points it is clear that legally and as per the rules, the agencies and/or organizations (such as NFL) does not exactly violate any rule. However, considering ethical principles and to cause less/no harm to the players it is important to inform the players and their families about the likely hazard of the game. After providing these information, if the players choose to continue their career then ethically, the organization can be guild free.
2. Making football players’ jobs safe is good for all parties concerned. As a result it strikes chord with the ethical principle of beneficence. In addition it also provide a degree of non-maleficence. If we look at the situation clearly, by benefitting the football players there is always a risk that an establishment such as NFL will be hurt. NFL could suffer financial loss and eventually perish if only the football players’ health is prioritized. However, we also need to consider that NFL provides job opportunities and employment to a lot of people. So the priority should be to find a middle ground that helps the players and also the organization. Making the game safe will definitely help in this regard.
Ethical level of safety for football players is a debatable subject. As per me, the football players must be made aware of the all the risks and the long term implications their career may have. In addition, organization such as NFL must work towards making the game as safe as physically possible. The challenge here is that, the impact of safety measures can only be determined at several years later. Hence to put a strict level of safety measures is nearly impossible. But as far as the concerns of ethics goes, the players must be made aware of all the possible risks and health concerns.
Related Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.