I mentioned the ethical dilemma posed in the television show 24 in Ethics class this past week.
to view episode 8.
Background is simple. The bad guys are trying to take over a ficitonal African country named Sengala.
They have kidnapped the female President's husband. The new female President has forces posed to invade Senegal foiling the plans of the rebels who want to take over the country. So the bad guys (sorry I could not find the character name of the bad guy on the site for some reason) threaten to send her husband to the White House one body part at a time if she does not step down the US forces. There will be a blood bath in Sengala if the rebels take over, the prequel emphasized that the rebels are using child soldiers as we saw in Blood Diamond reviewed by several of you in class.
Jack Bauer, the ever ready can do anti terrorist agent, wants to dispatch female FBI agent Renee Walker to the home of the one person who may know where the husband (referred to as the first gentleman in the show) is being held. Jack's idea is to threaten the life of the wife and child of the potential informer forcing him to save their lives by talking. Jack and Renee have 45 minutes or the husband gets it. Larry Moss FBI agent says wait we can't do that, that is not ethical.
What would you do?
Professor Elam 
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