> > > >       This is an ethical story (for those of you who actually know
what ethics is OR to try to teach a few of you what ethics is all about).
> > > >
> > > >       Don't look for a punch line. There isn't one.  Read it anyway.
> > > >
> > > >       My question to all of you is: Would you have made the same choice?
> > > >

> >***********************************************************************
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >       At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning to
disabled children, the father of one of the students
> > > >       delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who
attended.
> > > >       After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he
offered
a question.
> > > >
> > > >       "When not interfered with by outside influences, everything
nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son - Shay - cannot learn
things
as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.
> > > >       Where is the natural order of things in my son?"
> > > >       The audience was stilled by the query.
> > > >
> > > >       The father continued. "I believe, that when a child like Shay
comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents
itself, and it comes, in the way other people treat that child."
> > > >
> > > >       The father then recounted the following story:
> > > >
> > > >    "Shay and I were walking past a park where some boys Shay
knew
were playing baseball. Shay turned and asked me, "Do you think they'll let
me play?"
> > > >
> > > >       "I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like
Shay
on their team, but I also understood that if my son were allowed to play,
it
would give him a much-needed sense of belonging. So I approached one of the
boys on the field and asked if Shay could play."
> > > >
> > > >    "The boy looked around for guidance and, getting none, he
took
matters into his own hands and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game
is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put
him in to bat in the ninth inning."
> > > >
> > > >       "In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few
runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay
put
on a glove and played in the outfield. Even though no hits came his way, he
was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning
from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands."
> > > >
> > > >       "In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on
base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, I was
wondering whether they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
game or do they have someone else bat in his place?"
> > > >
> > > >       "Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a
hit was all but impossible cause Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat
properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to
the plate, the pitcher moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so
Shay could at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came and Shay
> > > > swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps
forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay
swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher."
> > > >
> > > >       "The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have
easily
thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that
could have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and
turned and threw the ball on a high arc to right field, far beyond the
reach
of the first baseman."
> > > >
> > > >       "Everyone started yelling," Shay, run to first! Run to
first!"
> > > >       Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He
scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, "Run
to second, run to second!"
> > > >
> > > >       "By the time Shay rounded first base, the right fielder had
the ball.
> > > >    He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the
tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions and intentionally threw the
ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward second
base
as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases toward home."
> > > >
> > > >       "Shay reached second base, where the opposing shortstop ran
to
him, turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to
third!"
> > > >       "As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were
screaming,  "Shay, run home!"
> > > >
> > > >       "Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as
the hero who hit the "grand slam" and won the game for his team."
> > > >
> > > >       "That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling
down
his face, "the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and
humanity into this world."
> > > >
> > > >       AND, NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send
thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it
comes to sending messages about life choices, people think twice about
sharing.
> > > >       The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through
cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in
our schools and workplaces.
> > > >
> > > >       If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are
that you're probably sorting out the people on your address list that
aren't
the "appropriate" ones to receive this type of message.
> > > >
> > > >       Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can
make a difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day
to help realize the "natural order of things."
> > > >
> > > >       So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
present us with a choice :
> > > >
> > > >       Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity..... or
do we pass up that opportunity, and leave the world a little bit colder in
the process?
> > > >
> > > >       You now have two choices:
> > > >
> > > >          Delete this.
> > > >          Forward it to the people you care about.
> > > >