Analyzing the Ethical and Legal Issues Depicted in the Movie John Q Essay

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Ethical and Legal Issues Depicted in the Movie, John Q?

From beginning to end, "John Q" is a movie full of moral and ethical quandaries. It offers viewers a clear glimpse at private and public entities' obligation to engage in ethically-right routine decision-making for their respective communities. John lacked the required health insurance to cover his son's cardiac surgery expenses. The Hope Memorial Hospital, electing not to play a "Good Samaritan," does not agree to perform the surgery without being assured payment. Thus, John is faced with the moral quandary of accepting fate and readying for the funeral of his son (as suggested by Rebecca Payne, the Hospital's administrator), or somehow procuring the money needed. Given the urgency of his son's case, the second option is rather daunting. Ultimately, John ends up holding emergency room patients and staff members hostage, to ensure his son is catered to (Bangura, 2011).

Another dilemma John faces later on in the movie is two emergency room patients -- one does not know how to speak English, while the other -- an expectant mother -- is in critical need for treatment at a different facility. When John is requested by Lieutenant Frank to release at least a few hostages in the course of negotiation, the former faces a dilemma -- leave the women to die or concede and release them (Bangura, 2011).

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Describe John Q's decision-making process and identify the various factors and outside stakeholders who influenced his decisions. Which of these influences appears to have had the strongest impact?

John's role as a father leaves him morally obliged to go all-out for his child's welfare. He is duty-bound to make his son's life better. From this perspective, one can conclude that John's response to his ethical obligation to his son is acceptable. He gives no consideration to the consequences but carries out his plan with a motive that is purely guided by familial responsibility. He gives priority to human life's sanctity and his parental role over everything else. His self-sacrificing act of deciding to give his son his own heart proves how much he values his role and responsibility. Under the circumstances, John's decision is only rational (as well as condonable). As necessitated by deontology, laws and actions should apply universally. An adherent should be ready to receive as well as give. John was asking nothing more from people than he himself….....

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