Reader Question: Justice on the Job

My friend Beth said:

Here's a justice-question for ya: What if the most probable job your husband can get is researching to build a robot that would take over human jobs in a car manufacturing plant? It would initially GIVE a job, but then take away. It would also, however, help keep the car manufacturers afloat in troubled economic times, ensuring the rest of the jobs not eliminated by the robot.

To give a little background, Beth's husband is a brilliant doctoral student of physics engineering. A Rocket Scientist, really. He practically has super powers. The choice he has to make is: Will he use them for Good or Evil?

Just kidding! We all have the power to do Good or Bad with all our choices, not just Rocket Scientists. An employment choice is a big one- because, when I choose a job, it's what I'm working toward and supporting day in and day out, not just one purchase here or there. I speak from personal experience when I say, if you have moral qualms with what you're doing at your job, it makes it very, very hard to do it well.

I had an internship working to write software that bill collectors use when they call and harass people about unpaid bills. As the summer wore on, although I'm opposed to debt, I learned about how people can be bankrupt by just a few bad decisions, or by a health issue totally out of their control. Most of our clients were health-related, and the people being affected by my work were ones who were probably doing the best they could, but couldn't make ends meet to pay for this huge unplanned bill (I'll probably address The Plight of the Uninsured later.That's another post) Anyway, after those few months, I decided I couldn't work toward the end goal of the product with good conscience, and I turned down the job offer that came later, even with nothing else lined up.

This was a very personal value call on my part- I have good friends that worked for this same company with no problem. It's a matter of perspective.

So, back to the question at hand- what should the Rocket Scientist do? As it was for me, it's a value judgement he'll have to make. Does he see the work as supporting the car companies by making their processes more efficient, helping the company stay afloat and keeping the cost of their product down for the average person? Or does he see it as scheming to get as many people off the payroll as possible, automating away jobs and ruining entire towns? The way the end goal of the project is stated in the workplace may have a lot to do with it. Yes, in my job, I work to make processes more efficient so that those who use the software can get more done more quickly- which is technically preventing the need for new hirings- but in my mind, I'm making the end-user's day better and happier, because they're doing their job without fighting with the computer, too. It's in my perspective.

Do you see value in what you do day-in and day-out? How do you balance the Needs of Your Business with Social Justice?

On Obtaining a Pet

Pet's aren't cheap.

There, I said it. If your bottom-line goal is to save the most money, a pet won't do it for you. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, there are legitimate reasons for wanting a pet- as for me, I'm a serious dog lover, and have wanted one of my very own since I was a kid. But I waited. I wanted to be a responsible dog owner- and end up with the right dog. Here's some things to take into consideration:


Do I have means to take good care of a pet? 
I'm not just talking about money. Do I have room for the pet to be able to get the exercise he needs to be physically healthy? Do I have time to spend with the pet (if it needs it- Fish, not so much) so it can be well socialized and "emotionally" healthy? Do I have space in the budget to care for the pet should it get sick? Am I willing to feed and care for the pet with its best interest in mind, rather than my convenience?

We waited until we were sure we had room for a bigger dog, because we knew we wanted a large breed. I held out getting a dog until we had a house and a yard- to be fair to our future dog & his health. When we got our dog, he was being fed the cheapest food in the store, but I did my research and settled on a good, nutritious food that was more expensive but not out of the budget. I knew our time constraints- we worked full time so couldn't housetrain a puppy very well, so I knew we needed to find an older dog. When we did get the dog, I spent a significant amount of time on training, as an "investment" for the future.


Where will I get the pet? 
For some pets, like rodents and fish, you may think your only option is the pet store. Before defaulting to a pet store, so look to see if any are being put up for adoption on craigslist or Petfinder. You'll be surprised what's out there. 

For a dog or cat, you'll have more options- but do your research. Know where pet-store puppies come from, and refuse to support puppy mills that overbreed their dogs in less-than-humane conditions. (Personally, I refuse to even shop for supplies at pet stores that sell puppies, to avoid "voting with my dollar" and giving them any business at all) If you know you want a dog you can take to dog shows, look into a reputable breeder by visiting the American Kennel Club site. Again, do your research, ask the right questions , and expect to spend hundreds of dollars.

But what if you don't demand a dog with a regal bloodline, and just want a home companion and frisbee partner? This is where most pet owners fall. Search Petfinder for the right match in a local shelter, or keep watch on your local craigslist or Freecycle group (some local Freecycles don't allow pet postings). Doing this will give an otherwise-unwanted dog (or cat) a loving home- yours! If enough people get pets from shelters rather than commercial breeding, pets will end up better-cared-for, and pet owners will be better informed.

We got our dog by watching craigslist for the breed we had decided upon. We ended up getting the dog plus supplies for free from a couple that no longer had time or room for him. He needed socialization and serious training, but the work paid off. Had we bought him as a puppy, we would have spent hundreds of dollars at a breeder, because he is obviously purebred. As it is, some owner in his past did spend the money, then decided he didn't want him. We were our dog's third home in his year-and-a-half of life, and we'll be his Forever Home!

In a way, caring for a pet- whether it be a hermit crab or a hamster or a horse- is caring for God's creation, albeit a small corner of it. Supporting responsible breeding and pet care is a way to honor the animal life that God created.