Blog 13: Minority Report Response

If someone were to tell you that there was a system ran by the government that stopped murders before they happened, you would probably think it was a good idea. What could possibly go wrong? Those "murderers" would be locked away and unable to harm anyone. However, there are problems that arise with this solution. Is it ethical to lock someone up for a crime they haven't committed yet? The major part in the question is the word "yet". This is a debate that is potentially never ending. Like one of the characters in the movies stated, "just because i stopped it from happening, doesn't mean it wasn't going to happen." I found that statement to be very profound. I completely understand this perspective and agree with it. Obviously, it is impossible to be able to see the future and pick out potential murders but there are people who have thought about committing crimes who have been taken away or accused of eventually doing it. For example, the man who was suspected of attempting to bomb Times Square this summer was found and taken into custody by authorities. Apparently, in Minority Report, the crimes were definitely going to happen because of the precogs and the characters' ability to see the future. With the example I made about the alleged terrorist, the crime wasn't definite because we can't see the future. Whether we can see the future or not, I don't find these things to be wrong. There are pros and cons to everything and I rather be safe than sorry.