In my opinion, I perceive assassination as an immoral act that requires punishment by a jail sentence. The Spelunkers' case involves four friends with different social status. Greg, John, Paul, and Peter planned to participate in mountain climbing collectively. However, John, Greg, and Peter changed the intended mountain climbing plan and decides to participate in cave exploration. Greg, John, Paul, and Peter accessed the cave to pursue their exploration plan; unfortunately, the cave entrance collapsed trapping the four friends for approximately, five and a half weeks. Greg, John, Paul, and Peter experienced starvation because of limited water, food, and lighting materials in the cave. Subsequently, Greg, John, and Peter developed an absurd survival mechanism of sacrificing Paul after refusing the plan. The rescue mission of Greg, John, and Peter from the cave occurred after approximately five and a half weeks. Trapping of the three friends and their rescue from the cave resulted in outrageous public reactions. Consequently, the paper intends to discuss and analyze the circumstance (s) that resulted in the trapping of the four friends in the cave and background information promoting the decision of Greg, John, and Peter to sacrifice Paul. Additionally, the essay seeks to evaluate the fate of Greg, John, and Peter.
According to Lawhorne (2014), the four friends, Greg, John, Paul, and Peter, agreed to participate in mountain climbing; however, the curiosity of Greg, John, and Peter acts as the main circumstance that encouraged the three friends to change the course of action to cave exploration without the consent of Paul 1 . Nonetheless, the four friends decided to participate in deep cave exploration to satisfy their curiosity. They reached the end of the cave. After miles of deep cave exploration, Greg, John, Paul, and Peter noticed a blockage at the cave entrance. They unsuccessfully attempted to clear the cave entrance. Consequently, the four friends starved in the deep cave for about five and a half weeks. The starvation in the deep cave resulted in the irrational decision of Greg, John, and Peter to sacrifice Paul for their survival. The impulsive decision of the friends caused the death of Paul at the expense of the gambling lifestyle of his friends, Greg, John, and Peter, during their situation in the deep cave.
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Greg, John, Paul, and Peter distinct social and economic backgrounds resulted in the irrational decision of Paul's murder. Paul did not have employment; subsequently, one may affirm that he originates from the lowest social class as compared to Greg, John, and Peter 2 . Even though the four friends had a powerful friendship, they had different economic status (Juni, 2016). For instance, Greg inherited the fortune of his parents, Peter works as an ordained minister in the government, and John works as an e-Bay executive. Paul had a child with his wife in the previous marriage. Greg proposed the irrational plan to scarify Paul because of his self-centred nature and inability to safeguard his fortune. The innocent nature of Paul hindered him from participating in the sacrificial process and encouraged Greg, John, and Peter to assassinate him for their survival in the deep cave. Greg, John, and Peter were prominent and influential socially. However, Paul did not originate from the prominent group and had negligible influence socially. The prominence and influential status of Greg, John, and Peter encouraged them to assassinate the less prominent Paul for their survival in the deep cave ( Murphy, 2015 ). Consequently, one may suggest that the social and economic distinctions or differences between the four friends, encouraged Greg, John, and Peter to the assassination of Paul because he originates from the lowest social and economic class. Additionally, the inadequate popularity of Paul would not result in severe legal consideration, like a jail sentence.
The five and a half weeks starvation of Greg, John, Peter, and Pual in the cave with minimal food, water, and lighting materials resulted in the revelation of their dark secrets to each other. Greg, the richest man among Greg, John, and Peter presumably initiated secrete revelation session. Their attempt to decide on the "amicable" survival mechanism, they sacrificed Paul (Lawhorne, 2014). Paul did not support the sacrificial idea of Greg because he cared about the well-being of his friends. Though Paul did not intend to sacrifice his friends, Greg, John, and Peter decided to murder him for their cannibalism intensions. Greg, John, and Peter claim that they had to assassinate Paul for their survival. However, the argument does not prove the actual reason for murder because the cave had a water source which could sustain their lives until the rescue team arrive at the site. Based on ethical principles in society, people do not have the right to assassinate one another for survival ( Southern, 2018 ). Consequently, assassination requires effective legal procedures to ensure sufficient justice in society.
Even though Lawhorne (2014), holds that the victims did not have adequate food, water, and lighting materials in the cave, the supply inadequacy does not justify the assassination of Paul in the cave. The cave had some water source about a half-mile. Though the water could not satisfy their demand, the available water could sustain the four friends until their rescue from the cave. Human beings can survive with water for a longer period as compared to food 3 . The presence of trickling water in the cave indicates the irrational decision of Greg, John, and Peter to assassinate Paul for their survival. The four friends ought to excavate the water source as opposed to killing Paul for survival (Turiel, 2015). Additionally, they could survive on water resources such as fish as opposed to killing Paul for their food. Consequently, assassination does not represent the right survival mechanism in the cave, and the judiciary should ensure that Greg, John, and Peter serve a jail sentence for the murder of Paul.
The assassination acts as second-degree murder because Greg, John, and Peter engaged in an intentional, illegal, and premeditated killing of Paul. Accordingly, the assassination and cannibalism act violates human rights, and the judiciary system should serve sufficient justice to the bereaved family of Paul (Seibold, 2017) . The assassination and cannibalism act has consequences in society. Irrational decisions may result in undesirable impacts on the implementers ( Levine & Bowker, 2019 ). For instance, the irrational or impulsive decision of Greg, John, and Peter to assassinate of their friend for survival requires legal proceedings leading to a jail sentence for the intentional murder of Paul. Communication assists in promoting effective relationship in society. The presence of effective communication between the four friends would enable Paul to make a rational decision concerning the change of plan. He would not have accompanied Greg, John, and Peter to the cave exploration after they changed from participating in mountain climbing event.
Finally, the paper discusses and analyzes the circumstance(s) that resulted in the trapping of the four friends in the cave and background information promoting the decision of Greg, John, and Peter to sacrifice Paul. Additionally, the essay evaluates the fate of Greg, John, and Peter. The irrational decision resulted in the death of Paul. Greg, John, Paul, and Peter had a distinct social and economic background. A person can survive with water for a longer period as compared to foodstuffs. Lastly, the murder of Paul and cannibalism act of Greg, John, and Peter violates human rights.
References
Juni, S. (2016). Survivor guilt: A critical review from the lens of the Holocaust. International Review of Victimology, 22(3), 321-337.
Lawhorne, B. (2014). The case of the spelunkers' fact pattern [Word Document]. Retrieved January 31, 2020, from https://sjsu.instructure.com/courses/1084877/files/33488769?module_item_id=7274760
Levine, D. P., & Bowker, M. H. (2019). The destroyed world and the guilty self: A psychoanalytic study of culture and politics . Phoenix Publishing House.
Murphy, B. (2015). The Punisher's Brain: The Evolution of Judge and Jury. By Morris B. Hoffman. Pp. xi. 359 . Cambridge/NY, Cambridge University Press, 2014,£ 21.99/$30.00.
Seibold, J. H. (2017). The Felony-Murder Rule: In Search of a Viable Doctrine. The Catholic Lawyer, 23 (2), 8.
Southern, N. (2018). Policing and combating terrorism in Northern Ireland: The Royal Ulster Constabulary GC . Springer.
Turiel, E. (2015). Moral development . Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science, 1-39.
1 Lawhorne, B. (2014). The case of the spelunkers fact pattern [Word Document]. Retrieved January 31, 2020, from https://sjsu.instructure.com/courses/1084877/files/33488769?module_item_id=7274760
2 Juni, S. (2016). Survivor guilt: A critical review from the lens of the Holocaust. International Review of Victimology, 22(3), 321-337.
3 Murphy, B. (2015). The Punisher's Brain: The Evolution of Judge and Jury. By Morris B. Hoffman. Pp. xi, 359. Cambridge/NY, Cambridge University Press, 2014,£ 21.99/$30.00.
