Poverty, Principlism in Bioethics, and Katrina

Most of us in the field of bioethics are familiar with the four principles oft used in bioethics: Autonomy, Beneficence, Nonmaleficence, and Justice (aka known as the "Georgetown Mantra") -- out of those four principles, Justice (some of us prefer to call it Equity) is too often given short shrift because it's not "sexy" or a headline grabber, as Jon Moreno points out in his article in the American Journal of Bioethics. So, it is inspires hope in me when someone like the NY Times' David Brooks points out that the devastation of Hurricane Katrina affords us an opportunity to do something serious about urban poverty -- his suggested rules when rebuilding: Nothing Like Before and Culturally Integrate. It is a chance to bridge the ever-growing gap between the haves and have-nots; to reiterate Brooks, let's not blow it.

Bioethics and Katrina

A well known bioethicist and supporter of the WBP, Jonathan Moreno writes a provocative essay entitled "In the Wake of Katrina: Has 'Bioethics' Failed?" , taking aim at the failure of bioethics to tackle issues of distributive justice and public health. I have to agree, what has happened with the response (or lack of) to Katrina, has provided a sobering wake-up call; as I had written in a previous article, I find that it is one of the more enobling aspects of being a bioethicist and an attorney to be a nurturing caregiver, protector of life and liberty, guardian of the weak and fragile, and steward of the earth and all its inhabitants. We need to set aside our egos (academic, legal, or otherwise) and ask "How can I serve?"

Addendum (posted Sept 6) - And please let's not forget about our companion animals -- the dogs and cats that have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina -- donate now at Humane Society of the United States.