Omelas!

If you were a citizen of Omelas, would you stay or would you walk? Please explain and justify your decision.

                      As members in today’s society, we like to think of ourselves as ethical and morally correct human beings. It's understandable, but what is this based on? Is holding a door open, or offering your spot on a bus to an elderly person enough to justify classifying ourselves as ethical? Our society is developed from a capitalistic state, in which money and power is what drives us. The desire for economic success will always have the last say in the decisions we make. What this means is that as members of this type of society, we will always make the decision to help ourselves, before considering the fallout results. Classifying thyself as moral and ethical would mean one considers all possible outcomes before every decision. The option that benefits thyself the most is not always the correct one. Once we are able to make the decision that serves society as a whole, and not our greedy desires, we will be able to consider ourselves as morally correct.

                      I would love to be able to say that I would leave the city of Omelas, as I’m sure most people would. And sure, if I was asked in public what my decision would be, I would untruthfully say that I would leave. But in reality, I would stay. In the back of my mind I would know that the poor boy in the cellar is living in hell, so that I can live in heaven. I also realize that I do have the option to release the boy, or to walk away. However, either of these options would result in lowering my condition of life materialistically. My constant need to serve myself would over power the thoughts of the boy. The guilt that follows me does not go away, but it is suppressed by my greed. This story works as an allegory for the conditions we live in today. Everyone who buys designer shoes knows there is a very high possibility they were built in a sweat shop, from a child who makes a dollar a day. How often does this thought actually affect our decision? Our desire for the shoes, our greed, suppressed the thought and allowed for the justification of purchasing the shoes.

                      When broken down, it becomes clear that actions controlled by desire will never result in ethical decisions. And when considering our society, and realizing that it is controlled by greed and desire, it becomes evident that moral decisions are rarely ever made. After breaking down my thoughts that I collected from reading the story, my answer becomes clear. I would not leave Omelas.