amelliagrace
Posts: 1791
Joined: 8/4/2007 Status: offline
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FR - As some have been touching upon.... Part of this is about the choice of the leadership, and part about personal choice, as well. The Captain may be "in charge', but a situation such as the rapid sinking of a ship, or fleeing a city that is falling to the enemy, he is somewhat limited. He makes the decisions, does his best to implement the plan..but... there pops up another of those big buts of life... As some have mentioned, there are women who'd quickly sede their seat to one of their offspring. Some individuals, would relinqish a seat to an individual that their own personal codes prompted them to see as being more worthy of the seat than they were. Personal choice and self determination of this type would trump the guidelines dictated by the Captain. As Bull (I think) pointed out, there is no point in trying to save someone who declines to be. Cheryl makes an interesting point about the fate of many of the female survivors of the titanic. In the scenario Leonidas provided, there was room for the Free in the lifeboats. As he didn't specify Women only, I'm left to assume there was room for the Men as well. Should that be the case, I have a feeling there'd be a few single men and women offering seats to children of the Free, if there were such present. How many, well that would definitely be interesting to know. Would slaves in the hold fight to get free? Surely they would. Would those slaves able to get to the deck attempt to survive? Likely so. Whether or not they did would be anyone's guess, but just because the deck was stacked against them, doesn't mean they wouldn't try, with everything they had. As in anything else in life, personal choice will sometimes attempt to trump the dictates of "the powers that be". Sometimes they'll even succeed. It is interesting to take an opportunity such as this to reflect on one's own values and personality. Me? I'd not just roll over and die on command, without a struggle, were there no seat designated for me. Yet, there have been two men in the course of my life that I'd have chosen to sink and die, if it meant they'd be safe. Thing is, I am fairly certain that either one of those would have knocked me unconscious to get ME on the life boat. (The phrase 'kicking and screaming" comes to mind.) For my own offspring or loved one, would I be willing to toss a slave over the side? Yeah. Pretty or not, there it is. For my own progeny, I'd give up my place. Now, I'd like to say with certainty that I'd make sure the life boat situation boded well for them, or think of their chances upon rescue without me, but I'm not at all certain that I would. Perhaps I'd be condemning them to slavery or poverty, as opposed to a watery death. It is a sobering thought, and one that brings with it potential for much philosophical discussion. The individual stories of those who were on Gor's Titanic would, I'm positive, have something in common with earth's Titanic. The stories of specific individuals, what they did and didn't do, and the choices they made, say many things about both human nature, and about the fierceness with which some uphold their chosen codes and ethics. Thanks, Leonidas, for an interesting thread indeed. Grace
< Message edited by amelliagrace -- 1/12/2009 8:33:52 AM >
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