Individuals have a moral obligation to assist people in need.

I affirm the resolution, Resolved: Individuals have a moral obligation to assist people in need. The value I set out to achieve in today's round is morality because that is the value implied by the resolution. Stanford's Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines morality as to "normally refer to a code of conduct that, given specified conditions, would be put forward by all rational persons." These codes of conduct are inherently subjective and vary from society to society. We of course aspire to find universal moral norms that appeal to all people. There are few standards that appeal to most rational societies. One of these standards is the aim to diminish or eliminate human suffering. Bernard Gert explains, "It is possible for a society to regard morality as being concerned primarily with minimizing the harms, e.g., pain and disability, that all human beings can suffer. Such a society might claim that their morality, in which minimizing the harms that all human beings can suffer is the primary concern, is based on some universal features of human nature or of all rational beings. Although all societies include more than this in their moralities, this feature of morality, unlike purity and sanctity, or accepting authority and emphasizing loyalty, is included in everything that is regarded as a morality in all societies."(Bernard Gert, Professor of Moral Philosophy at Dartmouth College http://plato.stanford.edu...) Because the reduction of human suffering is a central tenet of most if not every moral system, my value criterion is the minimization of human suffering. In short, the crux of my argument is that assisting others in need leads to a minimization of human suffering. Before I proceed with my contentions, there are several key elements of the resolution I have yet to define. Obligation- "something one is bound to do: duty, responsibility" (Merriam-Webster) It is not the affirmative burden to prove that those who do not fulfill the moral obligation to assist people in need are immoral. It is only the affirmative burden to prove that they are not fulfilling certain moral obligations. Not fulfilling an obligation does not define a person as immoral. These obligations are not absolute or binding. For example, I have an obligation as a student to complete homework assignments. Nevertheless, failing to submit an assignment could be excused if I was too sick to complete it, or there was a death in the family, or the instructions weren't clear. Similarly, there are situational factors that often exempt people from fulfilling moral obligations. For example, if I am a paraplegic, it is unreasonable to expect me to dive into an ocean to save someone from drowning. My disability exempts me from that responsibility. likewise, if a young child in Nebraska has a gun stuck to his head, and is being held for a $10 ransom. I don't have an obligation to save the child. On the other hand, if I am confronted by his captors and I can easily pay the ransom to prevent his death, I do have an obligation. If the affirmative can prove that individuals have a moral obligation to assist others even in limited situations, they have fulfilled their burden. Next, this resolution asks us to define moral obligations we currently observe. By affirming, you are simply declaring that people already possess these obligations, you are not creating new obligations they are bound to observe. Additionally, moral obligations are often not legally binding. Need- "lack[ing] of the means of subsistence"(Merriam-Webster) The framers of the resolution did not intend "need" to imply that we have a moral obligation to provide roller-skates to all those who are in "need" of a new pair. Rather, need is a term used to suggests providing "the minimum (as of food and shelter) necessary to support life"(definition of subsistence. Merriam-Webster). In this context, the affirmative burden is to prove that individuals have an obligation to provide assistance in order to save lives. This obligation is limited to situations where individuals have the capacity to save lives. To give an example, if I know the Heimlich maneuver, and I am alone in a room with someone that is choking to death; I have a moral obligation to use my expertise to save that person's life. To do nothing is immoral. Kant's Categorical imperative defines an individual's positive moral duties and obligations. His imperative entails a two part test that assesses whether an action should be considered a moral duty. The first part of the tests involves determining whether that action is universalizable. The second part of the test involves determining whether individuals are being exploited as a means to an end. Universalizing the expectation that people who possess the capacity should assist others in need is easily universalizable… My first contention is that assisting others in need minimizes human suffering. On July 12, 1968, LIFE Magazine's cover article gripped the country. On it was two small children suffering from unimaginable starvation. Since then, "Biafra" has been associated with starvation and catastrophe. Biafra was a Nigerian region that broke apart and caused a civil war. When pictures of emancipated children came out, the war was greatly publicized and protested. Frederick Forsyth (a writer and author during the time who published two novels on this story) wrote "There were meetings, committees, protests, demonstrations, riots, lobbies, sit-ins, fasts, vigils, collections, banners, public meetings, marches, letters sent to everybody in public life capable of influencing other opinion, sermons, lectures, films and donations. Young people volunteered to go out and try to help, doctors and nurses did go out to offer their services in an attempt to relieve the suffering. Others offered to take Biafran babies into their homes for the duration of the war; some volunteered to fly or fight for Biafra. The donors are known to have ranged from old-age pensioners to the boys at Eton College." In the Red Cross, $1.5 million were spent in Biafra alone. One million people died in the war or of famine. Without the aid from other countries, more people would have died. This is something that my opponent cannot deny. Saving the lives of those that faced this famine minimized human suffering. Over 100,000 people are waiting for organ donations in the US. By donating an organ, a person can improve another life up to 80%. This is another example of how assistance can diminish human suffering. My second contention is that not assisting others in need leads to greater human suffering. In the early morning of March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese was stabbed, raped, and robbed in front of her apartment. Some reports say that 38 people saw or heard her being stabbed or her screaming for help. But, little was done. A few called the police but, no one went outside to see if the young woman was alive. She died. Many of the witnesses couldn't explain why they didn't or they said that they were too tired to get involved. Kitty was in need and others did not help her. By assisting, they could of have stopped her suffering in a time of need.