Show, Don't Tell

Jonathon slowed the Lexus to a crawl as he drove down the narrow parking lane. He had learned the hard way to be prepared for the unexpected. He pulled into the slot marked “Reserved for Dr. Jonathon Spellman, Ph.D., Chairman, Ethics Department.” Glancing into the rearview mirror, he locked eyes with his reflection, watching the blue eyes in the mirror narrow. “I know, I know. Ethics is about truthfulness but where do you draw the line? “

He walked across the campus to the lecture hall. Several students waved and greeted him with “Good Morning, Professor,” and he smiled in acknowledgment. Popularity is the soul of tenure crossed his mind, bringing a small frown to his face. Once again, he struggled with his own dilemma. He had studied and taught ethics under all its guises: moral code, morals, morality, values, rights, and wrongs, principles, ideals, value system, virtues, dictates of conscience. What it all came down to was honesty; honesty with self and honesty with others.

A famous line from Bernard Shaw's play Man and Superman came to mind, “He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.” “Why is it so much easier to tell, rather than show?” he whispered to himself, not for the first time.

Shaking off the momentary doubt, he straightened and strode off. Passing through the portal of the large stone building, he noticed the placard next to the door: “Shaw Hall.” He managed a wry smile. “Salt in the wounds.”

He took a deep breath and pushed open the double doors to the classroom which was set up amphitheater style, the rows of seats climbing into the shadows. As much as he loved teaching, the large lecture hall felt impersonal. Jason, his teaching aide, was already busy setting up the projector and testing the sound system.

“Good morning, Professor Spellman.” His cheerful demeanor brought a smile to Jonathon. “We’re all set to go. They’ve upgraded the audio/visual so I’ll stick around this morning just to make sure there are no glitches.”

“Thank you, Jason. I am rather techno-inhibited,” he joked. Jason chuckled in amusement as they waited for the students to file in and find seats. Their buzz of conversation and the tapping noises as they burrowed into their phones were comforting sounds to him.

The minute hand on the non-descript clock that hung on the side of the room audibly clicked and came to rest on the twelve. And now it begins. Showtime!

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.” He waited a few seconds to gain their attention before continuing. “This is Ethics 101 for those of you who have forgotten.” Again, he paused for a smattering of laughter. “Philosophers today usually divide ethical theories into three general subject areas: metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics. Today, we’re going to tackle the practical side of ethics – its application.”

"Applied ethics involves examining specific controversial issues, such as abortion, animal rights, environmental concerns, or capital punishment. By using the conceptual tools of metaethics and normative ethics, discussions in applied ethics try to resolve these … controversial issues.”

Jonathan’s voice trailed off, his attention drawn to the students. Several were whispering and looking at their phones. As he watched, the distraction spread from student to student, row to row. Some had distressed looks while others seemed to be laughing.

“Mr. Jordan,” he called, addressing one of the snickering students. “Is there something you’d like to share with the class?”

Tom Jordan looked up guiltily. “No, not really.”

“Surely whatever you’re looking at must be more interesting than anything I’m saying. Please, share it with the class.” Jonathon looked around at the students and noticed several squirming uncomfortably.

“Well, you’re the Professor. If you insist …” He handed over his phone with a malicious grin.

Jonathon looked at the screen. It was the front page of The Tattler, a tabloid that was infamous for its salacious stories. The headline read, “Guess Who’s Under The Weather?” He felt the blood drain from his face as he realized that the cover picture was of him and his partner – a local on-air weatherman - in a sexual situation. There was pixilation obscuring the genitalia but there was no doubt what was happening.

Oh my God. This isn’t happening! Who would have done such a thing? A million thoughts ran through his mind. Finally, Jonathon took a deep breath and regained control of his emotions. His reaction, he realized, would define him going forward. Pull yourself together! You are a teacher; a damn good one! Act like one!

“Mr. Jordan. May I use your phone for a few minutes?”

Tom Jordan seemed surprised at the request and mutely nodded.

“Thank you. Jason, would you help me? I need to attach this to the projector.”

Jason’s reluctant assent was drowned out by the buzzing of the students. He came forward and deftly attached the phone to a cord. The image appeared on the screen of the auditorium.

“Thank you, Jason." Turning to the assembly, he began with, "Now, I will admit that this is not the example I had planned to use today but I think you’ll find it adequate for our discussion.” A few embarrassed chuckles could be heard.

“Mr. Jordan, tell me, what do you see?”

The room went silent, a sense of anticipation seeming to smother all sound.

Finally, Tom asked, “Really?”

“Yes. I’m asking you for your honest response.”

“I see a couple of queers butt-pounding,” he spat.

Several voices began to protest but Johnathon held up his hand for silence.

“Okay. Now, just for the sake of perspective, what if that picture was of a man and a woman? Would that make you change how you were feeling?”

Tom fumbled for words and finally waved the question off.

Jonathon shifted his focus from Tom to the class at large. “Let me tell you what I see. I see a couple who have had a long loving relationship. Love can be expressed in many ways and in this case, it was through physical intimacy.” He looked around the room, making eye contact with as many as he could. “Let me ask, by a show of hands, how many think love is a bad thing?”

“That’s not a fair question,” a female voice spoke out.

“Why? Because I’ve suggested love in something other than a heterosexual relationship? Because you’ve made a judgment about what is right and what is wrong? Applied ethical issues are those which are clearly moral issues and for which there are significant groups of people who are either for or against. But, right and wrong are not always concrete propositions.”

Jonathan looked around and saw that he had captured their interest. “A hundred years ago, women were seen as little more than chattel, with few, if any rights. Why do we see that as wrong today? In your lifetime, laws prohibiting interracial marriage were still a part of our legal system. Why is that seen as wrong today? Today there is a general – not universal - acceptance that all people have certain basic rights.” He paused noting several students nodding in agreement.

He pointed at the screen, then continued, ”Notwithstanding the violation of my right to privacy, this is an attempt to deny my rights as a gay man and as a human being through an act of public humiliation. Whether or not it’s successful will be determined by the ethics of each of you, the ethics of each person who sees this, and by each person who will, ultimately, pass judgment on what’s right and wrong.”

Jonathon let out a deep sigh, shaking his head. He went over, unhooked the phone, and returned it to Tom Jordan. “And that brings us to the heart of this course. What is right and what is wrong? Are there absolutes and, if so, how do we find them?”

“This is not a course about easy answers. It is a course about questions; ones that you will have to answer simply because you’re human. I hope over the remaining weeks to help you define your questions and help you find your answers because they will shape the rest of your life.”

Jonathon retreated to the podium and began collecting his notes, placing them in his briefcase. He was startled, as he turned around, to see most of his students standing as they began applauding.

“Thank you,” was all he could choke out, his eyes filling with tears of gratitude. He had an idea of what lay ahead both personally and professionally but, at this moment, he found the courage and strength to face whatever was to come. It was time to show, not tell.

An entry for Reedsyprompts

Prompt: Write a story in which societal rituals and expectations play a key role.

Word Limit: 1000 - 3000

Word Count: 1450