the urge to smoke.
a personal ethics analysis
Getting through college wasn’t easy; so, I anxiously awaited for the job opportunities to start rolling in. I had worked hard to develop a professional portfolio together with an accompanying resume. In addition, I applied myself, and was able to receive a few accomplished freelance jobs that had several companies interested in my work.
There was one from Baird, Kuntz and Dobson, an accounting firm, that had its quirks. They had offered an appreciable salary with a dandy benefits package, also they were located close to my home town. Then there was a sweet and lucrative offer from Anheuser-Busch; a job that had other fringe benefits aside from a nice salary and health plan; alcoholic beverages were easily accessible. Several other firms had expressed their desire to hire me, all with fair salaries and rewards, but one seemed to interest me more than the others: an offer from R.J. Reynolds tobacco company.
Out of all the places that I had imagined that would call me, I never would’ve believed that a huge, tobacco conglomerate, sporting a multi-billion dollar bank account, would want to encourage me to be a part of their 100,000 plus employee organization.
Initially, turning my resume and cover letter into R. J. Reynolds was a joke. While looking for jobs across the country on the internet, I stumbled upon a job in my field of Graphic Design. It was posted from Richmond, Virginia, and was accompanied with cigarette logos and advertisements for all sorts of tobacco products. Not only were the designs and concepts contemporary and high quality, but the job sounded like something I had been looking for.
The package was similar to the others: working with an accomplished design team, in a nice studio, high work ethics, health plan and benefits, as well as an economically competitive pay amount. However, what immediately caught my eye was the substantial indifference in the salary offered; the cigarette folks were playing hardball; they were flashing dollar signs. Therefore, as I said, I half jokingly sent them my resume and cover letter via the given email address—I never expected it to work—my buddies and I all got a good laugh when I heard back from them.
As a small town boy, who grew up hard, then to be offered a chance to have a high paying job fresh out of college, I was flattered. With many great job opportunities on the table, not necessarily financially rewarding jobs, but ones that I could be happy and proud with myself about, I had a big decision to make. My ethical morals, and my social beliefs would be in question—my integrity and standards would be judged.
To work for a company that will provide a financially secure life for me and my daughters is the best I could hope for. On the other hand, to tell the world my ideologies and beliefs through my graphic design efforts, serving as a utilitarian leader for the common good of mankind, could be a life to feel proud about. If I could convey a message that would encourage and enlighten people to be better humans, you could bury me face up for the world to see, for I will have been an accomplished man.
R. J. Reynolds’ salary offer outbid all the rest by $5,000/year. That would equal a lot of: school clothes, new shoes, toys, cheerleading camps, basketball fees, haircuts, movies, shopping, and food; but, how important is money? Well, when considering all the aforementioned items of extensive family cost, it means a great deal.
Both of my daughter’s financial future is of the utmost importance; taking care of them is my life’s passion; I wanted to make sure that I did what I can to ensure that they did not have to struggle with what I did as a child and young man. It means a lot to me for them to have a fair chance at a good life, and as sad as it may seem, money is a huge factor in determining that. By wanting to achieve self worth through financial gain, I have accepted the hedonistic mentality, however, my pleasure comes from seeing my little girls happy.
Money does bring me pleasure, but if I do not have it to spend, I am not unhappy. I feel it is very difficult to maintain happiness through poverty: bills unpaid, the simple luxuries taking away, perhaps living in a cardboard-box—you can’t buy me love—although it is incredibly nice to have my electric bill paid in order to provide the energy to type this thought out, while listening to my stereo in a cozy room.
However great the money is, my idealistic and rationalistic ethics that I endure personally would not allow me to take the sweet, lucrative opportunity the R. J. Reynolds folks through at me. In a “what’s in it for me” ideology, I would’ve never passed up such a chance to make good money with a strong firm, a chance to finally get off the poverty list. Hedonism is too much about “me” and not enough about “them” and “us”.
Now I am sure that the business ethics provided and upheld at R. J. Reynolds are impeccable. You do not achieve their success without a sound, universal way of running and implementing the criteria at hand, and a common source of ethics among all of your employees; this helped build them into the monster monopoly that they are today. In addition, I am also sure that tobacco companies in general exemplify a dignified approach to professional ethics with good business manners and a professionally sound way of running a company; without them, they would never survive. My appreciation for these firms and their ethics of professional business is evident; however, in a utilitarian society they do not serve in accordance. It is important to think of everyone in society, regardless of the financial gain.
I neglected to take the job at R. J. Reynolds for several reasons that conflicted with my personal, ethical beliefs. I could not allow my social ideologies, my concerns for the well being of my neighbors, nor the inner fires I store within my heart to be dampened by the poisons that R. J. Reynolds company produces; I cannot favor the lack of wanting to do good for all people. Also, the chemicals that the huge tobacco conglomerates are using to keep young people addicted, do not comply with the code of ethics that I have established for myself.
My goal to be a good father and to teach a fair minded set of Idealistic, ethical values would be incongruit to the ways of the tobacco money lords; I could not look at myself in the mirror knowing that I was part of getting someone else hooked on nicotine like I have been in the past. Nonetheless, I will continue to wean myself from this noisome drug, and I’ll continue to use my loud, prominent voice to convey to the world that breathing a fresh breathe in, is better than blowing fresh money out.
Sincerely Coughing Out Against Nicotine Addiction,
tmez. . .27,november1999
Getting through college wasn’t easy; so, I anxiously awaited for the job opportunities to start rolling in. I had worked hard to develop a professional portfolio together with an accompanying resume. In addition, I applied myself, and was able to receive a few accomplished freelance jobs that had several companies interested in my work.
There was one from Baird, Kuntz and Dobson, an accounting firm, that had its quirks. They had offered an appreciable salary with a dandy benefits package, also they were located close to my home town. Then there was a sweet and lucrative offer from Anheuser-Busch; a job that had other fringe benefits aside from a nice salary and health plan; alcoholic beverages were easily accessible. Several other firms had expressed their desire to hire me, all with fair salaries and rewards, but one seemed to interest me more than the others: an offer from R.J. Reynolds tobacco company.
Out of all the places that I had imagined that would call me, I never would’ve believed that a huge, tobacco conglomerate, sporting a multi-billion dollar bank account, would want to encourage me to be a part of their 100,000 plus employee organization.
Initially, turning my resume and cover letter into R. J. Reynolds was a joke. While looking for jobs across the country on the internet, I stumbled upon a job in my field of Graphic Design. It was posted from Richmond, Virginia, and was accompanied with cigarette logos and advertisements for all sorts of tobacco products. Not only were the designs and concepts contemporary and high quality, but the job sounded like something I had been looking for.
The package was similar to the others: working with an accomplished design team, in a nice studio, high work ethics, health plan and benefits, as well as an economically competitive pay amount. However, what immediately caught my eye was the substantial indifference in the salary offered; the cigarette folks were playing hardball; they were flashing dollar signs. Therefore, as I said, I half jokingly sent them my resume and cover letter via the given email address—I never expected it to work—my buddies and I all got a good laugh when I heard back from them.
As a small town boy, who grew up hard, then to be offered a chance to have a high paying job fresh out of college, I was flattered. With many great job opportunities on the table, not necessarily financially rewarding jobs, but ones that I could be happy and proud with myself about, I had a big decision to make. My ethical morals, and my social beliefs would be in question—my integrity and standards would be judged.
To work for a company that will provide a financially secure life for me and my daughters is the best I could hope for. On the other hand, to tell the world my ideologies and beliefs through my graphic design efforts, serving as a utilitarian leader for the common good of mankind, could be a life to feel proud about. If I could convey a message that would encourage and enlighten people to be better humans, you could bury me face up for the world to see, for I will have been an accomplished man.
R. J. Reynolds’ salary offer outbid all the rest by $5,000/year. That would equal a lot of: school clothes, new shoes, toys, cheerleading camps, basketball fees, haircuts, movies, shopping, and food; but, how important is money? Well, when considering all the aforementioned items of extensive family cost, it means a great deal.
Both of my daughter’s financial future is of the utmost importance; taking care of them is my life’s passion; I wanted to make sure that I did what I can to ensure that they did not have to struggle with what I did as a child and young man. It means a lot to me for them to have a fair chance at a good life, and as sad as it may seem, money is a huge factor in determining that. By wanting to achieve self worth through financial gain, I have accepted the hedonistic mentality, however, my pleasure comes from seeing my little girls happy.
Money does bring me pleasure, but if I do not have it to spend, I am not unhappy. I feel it is very difficult to maintain happiness through poverty: bills unpaid, the simple luxuries taking away, perhaps living in a cardboard-box—you can’t buy me love—although it is incredibly nice to have my electric bill paid in order to provide the energy to type this thought out, while listening to my stereo in a cozy room.
However great the money is, my idealistic and rationalistic ethics that I endure personally would not allow me to take the sweet, lucrative opportunity the R. J. Reynolds folks through at me. In a “what’s in it for me” ideology, I would’ve never passed up such a chance to make good money with a strong firm, a chance to finally get off the poverty list. Hedonism is too much about “me” and not enough about “them” and “us”.
Now I am sure that the business ethics provided and upheld at R. J. Reynolds are impeccable. You do not achieve their success without a sound, universal way of running and implementing the criteria at hand, and a common source of ethics among all of your employees; this helped build them into the monster monopoly that they are today. In addition, I am also sure that tobacco companies in general exemplify a dignified approach to professional ethics with good business manners and a professionally sound way of running a company; without them, they would never survive. My appreciation for these firms and their ethics of professional business is evident; however, in a utilitarian society they do not serve in accordance. It is important to think of everyone in society, regardless of the financial gain.
I neglected to take the job at R. J. Reynolds for several reasons that conflicted with my personal, ethical beliefs. I could not allow my social ideologies, my concerns for the well being of my neighbors, nor the inner fires I store within my heart to be dampened by the poisons that R. J. Reynolds company produces; I cannot favor the lack of wanting to do good for all people. Also, the chemicals that the huge tobacco conglomerates are using to keep young people addicted, do not comply with the code of ethics that I have established for myself.
My goal to be a good father and to teach a fair minded set of Idealistic, ethical values would be incongruit to the ways of the tobacco money lords; I could not look at myself in the mirror knowing that I was part of getting someone else hooked on nicotine like I have been in the past. Nonetheless, I will continue to wean myself from this noisome drug, and I’ll continue to use my loud, prominent voice to convey to the world that breathing a fresh breathe in, is better than blowing fresh money out.
Sincerely Coughing Out Against Nicotine Addiction,
tmez. . .27,november1999
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