Buted, Stephanie Dawn G.

2F-Ph
REFLECTION PAPER: JOHN Q

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Indeed, when we are under difficult
situations we tend to do things that we never think that we are capable of doing. Just like in the
movie, John Q, John was faced with a very tough situation which involves his sons life. A father
would do everything for his child to survive and somehow what John did was to try to save his
son, in an absurd way. He took hostage the doctor who is in charge of his sons health and some
of the people in the hospital in the hope of urgent treatment of his son. I would say that what he
did was moral because he did not really intended to kill the people whom he took as hostages and
also his intentions were clearly to find a way for his son to survive. He is very much aware of
what he is doing but he has no control over what the others think of him. Obviously, without
knowing him they would immediately treat him as a bad person or that what his doing is
immoral, but then as the story continues the public learns to sympathize with him because they
learn about his side of the story. There were times that he exhibited certain actions that are
somewhat violent, but I think that it is just normal to act the way that he acted given the situation
that he was in. He was really desperate to save his son that he thought of killing himself instead
and donating his heart just so the boy can live. Even the doctor thought that it was unethical but
in the end gave up to his request. But God has his ways, thats why a miracle came and solved
the problem. Both my honest and educated moral assessment is that it is moral.
I choose Johns character because besides the fact that he is the lead character of the
story, I also admire his bravery and his great love for his son. The ethical system that reflects on
his character is I. Kants, Kantian Ethics which states that in making a choice, one bases from his

or her own opinions and not because he or she is following certain rules and regulations. He
exhibited no fear towards the consequences of his actions, he just decided to do whatever it will
take for his son to be alive. Even if in the end, the law of the government still reigns, he accepted
whatever his fate was. In the end the things he did were reflections of his own choices not
because he was following certain rules.