04D2-08-Identify, relate, develop & consider through examination of consequences in our public system through the government and the public administrator (the decisions that were made)

The act of governing means that something will happen to the public as a result of a decision by a public administrator. The act could be viewed as positive by some and negative by others. As hindsight is 20/20, it is much easier to criticize acts and their resulting consequences after an event is over. Examine the importance of consequences in our public systems.

Use the presentation in this unit on the shootings at Columbine High School and the readings on this subject in the Stillman case book, along with the ethical theories on consequences from the Thiroux and Krasemann text to:

• Identify some of the consequences of decisions made by public administrators in this case.
• Relate any weaknesses in ethical approaches of those involved to your theory bases of consequentialism and nonconsequentialism.
• Develop recommendations about how some of these ethical failures could have been avoided.
• Consider the case through the lens of ethical issues that arise.