Opinion: Can I keep the baseball I caught?
Page 3/3

We sought ethical advice from Nancy Sherman, a Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University, who told us, "Manners are not morals."

The professor said she was mostly alarmed by the public shaming of both man and boy, who, after all, were not aware that their instinctive, personal reactions would soon be turned into some kind of moral exercise for the digital age.

"The young guy who caught the ball says, 'I'm sorry…I feel bad, but I'm not giving it to the kid'"… says Professor Sherman. "I think that's a healthy, honest response."

So the next time you go to a game - if a fly ball seems to be arcing your way, you might pause before you reach for it to ask yourself, "Do I really want this ethical dilemma?"

© NPR

Prev
Back to headlines
News menu
Home