Tuesday, October 12, 2010

ASSIGNMENT # 9 A Moral Dilemma


Gunter Grass is a 92 year old man who lives in your village of 1000 people.

His wife died six years ago, but he has three children and many grandchildren. He is as healthy as one could expect a 92 year old man to be.

From 1962 to 1998 he served as mayor of the village. He would no doubt have been re-elected, but he chose to retire due to his age.

He has been a model citizen and has built a profitable factory where many people in the village enjoy working. Employees are well paid.

Over the years he has donated very large sums of money to various charities. As well there are a number of families who, for various reasons, are unable to make ends meet. Each month, Mr. Grass makes sure they have enough money to cover their expenses. These families would surely become destitute without his aid.


The current mayor has come across irrefutable evidence that, from 1939- 1945, Gunter Grass was the commandant of a Nazi concentration camp in Poland. He directly oversaw the deaths of an estimated 15,000 people. The mayor is asking your advice.


Write a letter to the mayor in which you outline in detail four or five reasons for your decision to expose Grass' secret or your decision to get rid of the evidence. You should discuss the impact of your decision on Gunter, on the village, on the victims of the concentration camp and on society.

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