The Code Red By Lance Corporal Harold - 1483 Words

Lance Corporal Harold Dawson and Private First Class Louden Downey enter Private First Class Santiago’s bunk room to perform a â€Å"code red,† a form of punishment used by military personal that is not in protocols; the two men were following an order given to them by a superior officer. At Guantanamo Bay orders are taken very seriously. A quote from the film, A Few Good Men, states â€Å"they are not permitted to disobey orders,† showing that the two men had no other choice â€Å"because they were ordered to do it†(Reiner). The men followed through with a code red rather than disobeying direct orders, which is against their beliefs as a unit. So sometimes following an order can cause a series of unfortunate events or worse to happen, but it is not†¦show more content†¦Following commands is a very important part of keeping order. Now imagine a row of blue clad Navy soldiers, carrying out drills in perfect unison, if just one person were to break orders and fail to correctly initiate their portion of the drill it makes every singular other soldier look bad, including themselves, thus creating an incentive to not break orders and not mess up no matter what the situation. Furthermore, should someone always follow orders? In the case of Downey and Dawson following an order ended up getting an innocent man killed. Milgram points out that â€Å"the ordinary person who shocked the victim did so out of a sense of obligation - an impression of his duties as a subject† (par 96). Dawson and Downey carried out the requested code red because they felt obligated. As a result, they were obligated to ignore their own personal morals and do the commands of another person. Another explanation is provided by MacDonald is â€Å"the mission in way—to get the job done—might at times cause a certain degree of sadism.† (par. 8) So, it seems that over time soldiers derive satisfaction from acting out violent orders and because of this and the combined effects of war, they seem to disregard other humans’ physical pain which in turn makes taking orders that much easier. This disregard forShow MoreRelatedA Few Good Men By Erich Fromm1546 Words   |  7 Pagescomplicates this theme by establishing military culture where disobedience to a higher power invokes dire repercussions. One example in the motion picture is when United States Marines Lance Corporal Harold Dawson and Private Louden Downey where instructed by their superiors to give a fellow Marine, Private William Santiago, a Code Red resulting in Private William Santiago death (A Few Good Men). Moreover, Stanley Milgram author of â€Å"Perils of Obedience† discussed in the piece the corresponding issue moved intoRead MoreAnalysis Of The Film A Few Good Men 1166 Words   |  5 Pages Marines Lance Corporal Dawson and Private Downey carried out a â€Å"code red† order, a violent extrajudicial punishment on Private Santiag o, who died as a result of the injuries he sustained. The â€Å"code red† order was given out by Lieutenant Jonathan James Kendrick. However, during the trials Private Downey was questioned on whether he actually heard Lieutenant Jonathan James Kendrick orders to which he replied† Yes, Captain, I was given an order by my squad leader... Lance Corporal Harold W. DawsonRead MoreThe Film A Few Good Men713 Words   |  3 Pagesanother. Colonel Jessup, Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway, Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson, and Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee each have a different personal ethical perspective. Each of these character’s concept of right and wrong is displayed in the film and their moral values are brought to surface. Colonel Jessup believes strongly in Marine code, and he will do anything to improve his unit as a whole, even if that means ordering a â€Å"code red†. There are no standards of right and wrong in his perspectiveRead MoreAnalysis Of Columbia Pictures A Few Good Men 1955 Words   |  8 PagesMarines as described by Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson followed a code: â€Å"Unit, Corps, God, County† (Brown Reiner, 1992). The Marines stationed at Guantanamo Bay faced uncertainty daily and lived by this code to survive and thrive under harsh conditions. Col. Nathan R. Jessep further explained some of the dangers when he stated, â€Å"I eat breakfast 80 yards away form 4000 Cubans who are trained to kill me† (Brown Reiner, 1992). It was this reliance and staunch loyalty to the code that allows for ordersRead MoreHow the Movie a Few Good Men and the Play Antigone Found Honor in What1109 Words   |  5 Pagesthe play by having Harold Dawson and Louden Downy stand up for what they believe is right. Dawson and stood up for what he believed in and at the same time knew that he had to follow an order. When Dawson and Downy followed the order of their commander to perform the Code Red, they also went against the civil law because Code Reds are not permitted, and they killed Santiago and were arrested because of it. Docit. number 411275VR-5. The United States vs. Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson and PrivateRead MoreLegal approach to A Few Good Men1711 Words   |  7 PagesEnvironment of Business. In this paper, I plan to go over the main legal elements which occur throughout the film. Starting off with the facts of the movie, case that is being presented is a criminal one. Two Marines, PFC. Louden Downey and Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson, are charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and conduct unbecoming a Marine. The reason I mentioned this fact is because they are not only on charge for the acts which they have committed, but also their negligence as MarinesRead MoreThe Perils Of Obedience, And A Few Good Men1059 Words   |  5 Pages(Zimbardo). A Few Good Men is a story about two Marines, Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson and Private First Class Louden Downey, charged for the murder of William T. Santiago, a fellow marine. And the lawyer, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, played by Tom Cruise, fought for the freedom and honor of accused marines. According to the movie, the two marines, Dawson and Downey, were given an order from their superior to give Santiago, the victim, a â€Å"Code Red†. In the movie, the term was used as a method to keep theRead MoreA Cumpolsory Action in the Movie A Few Good Men Essays840 Words   |  4 Pagescommand isnt compulsory, as seen by the marines in the movie A Few Good Men, orders can be extremely hard not to follow. A Few Good Men depicts the court case of two marines, Private First Class Louden Downey and Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson, who had been ordered to perform a Code Red on a fellow marine, Private First Class William T. Santiago. Stanley Miligram, a 1970s psychologist who wanted to test obedience in humans, believed that authority was the key to obedience. To test his theory heRead MoreRachel Zeunik. Mr. Fisher. W131. 4/20/17. Killer Obedience.1161 Words   |  5 Pagesbrotherhood, and patriotism. Those in the military place the lives of their fellow men and country above all else. It is the most intense example of selflessness and self-sacrifice. This extended commitment to God and country is made possible through codes, vows, and unquestioned obedience. If a lieutenant is given an order, he will follow through with it because the lives of countless depend on his obedience. A soldier’s actions always contribute to the overall action of the military and work towardsRead MoreR eview of a few good men Essay1367 Words   |  6 Pagesthere fellow officer, during the incestigation it is discovered that there is a practice called â€Å"code red† this is a unethical and unofficial disciplinary measure by the marine squad when a member goes against the unit. The offender is gagged, beaten, and then they are killed by their fellow officers. The accused put the blame on someone they said was higher up from them. They carried out the â€Å"code red† order because the officer was not living up to the duties and agenda of the marines, and they were