fandomhigh | Friday Ethics Class #3, 8-10am

Two boxes sit on Tara's desk. One is filled with homemade cookies, with a small placard labelled 'To all those who attempted the assignment - help yourselves!'. The other is a bin to return the Master/slave badges at the end of the class.

Tara smiles as the students settle down.

"I told you last week that part of the point of this assignment was to separate out the issues of slavery and abuse. There are many, many issues with slavery, even without abusive elements attached, and I want to tell you how proud I am of all of you for attempting the assignment - especially those of you who were uncomfortable with it. I have a lot I want to say, but I'm going to bite my tongue and let you all speak, first. Tell me about your experiences with the assignment - what was challenging for you? What was easier than you thought it would be? Do you have any insights you would like to share?"

[ooc: If you would provide linkage to any RPed assignment bits and pieces, I would be forever grateful when it comes time for grading. Also, those of you who made icons? I adore you, and worship your icon-fu.]

Before class lets out, Tara makes a short announcement.

"I would not ask anything of you that I am unwilling to do myself - including act as a slave. Anyone who completed the assignment is eligible to 'win' me as a slave, under the same terms of the assignment as you performed. I realise many of you are probably glad that this is over, but if you are interested, or want revenge, please put your name down on the sheet provided. I will post this as a voting list, and the involved parties will decide as a class who is to Master me, and what is to be done with me."

[ooc: Off to bed. Play nicely, see you all in the morning. Um, my morning. *as usual, kicks stupid timezones*]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I know that you were originally concerned with the responsibility of the role, Piper," Tara replies. "Do you think you would have felt more comfortable being in the submissive role?"

Piper thinks about the question for a moment before answering. "I don't think I would have been comfortable being in the submissive role. I'm not used to taking orders from anyone. Also, I feel responsible for my own family, so being in the role where I had to be responsible for someone else was easier."

Nodding, Tara asks, "when Shep frustrated you, how did you want to respond? Was it any different because of your roles than it would have been if you were just working as friends?"

"I probably would have been just as frustrated no matter what," Piper said, sort of embarrassed. "When it comes to cooking, I can be very difficult to work with."

Tara laughs. "So was it any different than being with a friend? Other than that you felt responsible for his welfare?"

"It was a little different. I mean, it was kind of strange being referred to by a different name."

Tara laughs. "And if he had called you Piper? Would it have been 'normal' then?"

When it comes to cooking, I'm an idiot.

But I admit to being even more thick than usual, just to mess with her head.

Tara's mouth quirks into a smile. "And why did you want to mess with her, John?"

I have issues with anyone in authority who doesn't deserve it. And it's not like Piper couldn't be a good authority figure, but she hadn't proven it to me. Prove to me that you deserve to be giving orders, and I'll only stop to ask how high when you ask me to jump. But you better have proven to me that you deserve to be telling me to jump at all. If you don't, I'll run rings around you.

Tara smiles. "And what you discovered, Mr. Sheppard, is one of the few powers of the slave. You did what you were told. You didn't do it well, you didn't anticipate needs, and you exploited the situation when your orders weren't clear enough - all without doing anything that you would actually get in trouble for."

I'm military. We have that down to an art form. :) 'Cause let's face it, the military is just a form of voluntary slavery when you get down to it.

Tara grins. "I'm so glad you said that, and not me. And yes, I believe that's true. So tell me, Mr. Military, do the same ethical issues apply to the military as do to slavery?"

Oh, absolutely. A C.O. is responsible for the lives and welfare of his men. In return, the men are expected to follow any ethical order given. And I use 'men' in a very non-gender specific way. The only advantage to the military, is that outside of an actual combat situation, and outside of a draft, military men can walk away from the service when they discover it's not their thing. And theoretically there's a chain of command to fall back on if you get a C.O. who isn't holding up their end of the bargain one way or another.

Friday Ethics Class #3, 8-10am

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