While Officer Wilson’s motivations and state of mind in this instance are of great interest, they are of little moment. Here, it doesn’t matter if Wilson felt fear. Nor does it matter if six dozen Swisher Sweets lay scattered beside Mike Brown’s lifeless body, or even if a pistol was hidden under Mike Brown’s shirt. Mike Brown was dying as a result of actions — right or wrong — taken by Officer Wilson; Wilson failed in his duty as a peace officer and as a human being. In the United States, as opposed to in Europe, moral obligation is generally seen as a function rooted in conscience, not law. Whether immunized from lawsuits by Good Samaritan laws or not, Americans are exempt from a duty to stop and render aid in most states, except Vermont and Minnesota, except under certain, narrowly defined circumstances.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 23:23:01 +0000
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