Is It Ethical to Defy Evacuation Orders?
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, at Religion News Service G. Jeffrey MacDonald analyzes the ethics of evacuation orders. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called those who defied orders to evacuate ahead of the storm “selfish” for putting the lives of “first responders in significant, significant danger … because you decided that you wanted to be hardheaded.” “The idea of evacuation as a moral duty has gained traction among some local officials, theologians and hurricane survivors,” writes MacDonald. “But others find the notion misguided, uncompassionate and a threat to individual liberties.”