RE: Deer and ethics
I agree that death is seldom clean or pretty in nature. But then again, in nature, deer don't get hit by automobiles. I don't think Iwould interfere with an animal dying of natural causes, but when it comes to animals getting hit by cars I think I would feel obligated to do something. I'm not sure I would dispatch an injured animal in a busy area. It is totally dependent upon the situation and there is no absolute right or wrong answer. I can understand the grey area and hesitation when it comes to looking at this with a broad perspective. But let's narrow it down a bit and look at the basic principles of this. Again, here is a scenario. You are driving down a back road at night. Nobody else is around. You see an injured deer on the side of the road.Remember, there is nobody around to see you and there are no police in the area. Would you end its suffering or follow the law?
In this scenario the question is, would you feel obligated to respect the law and comply with it even if you felt an ethical responsibility not to? Do we base our decisions on the law itself, or legal consequences and other ramifications? I wouldn't have to think about it. I would pull over and put the deer out of its suffering.