Mercy

Includes bibliographical references.The way in which indigenous people are represented in documentaries has radically changed within the last century. But "If there (still) is one overriding ethical/political / ideological! question to documentary filmmaking it may be, What to do with the people" (Nichols qtd. in Barbash and Taylor, 1997: p. 12). How can people and issues be represented appropriately? How can one make a documentary about somebody or something with a totally different cultural background to one's own without being unethical? The so-called expository documentary was the first prevailing documentary mode and tries to answer these questions with an authoritative voice-over commentary combined with a series of images that aim to be descriptive and informative. The voice-over approaches the spectator directly and offers facts or arguments that are illustrated by the images. It provides abstract information that the image cannot carry or comments on those actions and events that are unfamiliar to the target audience. This is exactly what some filmmakers reacted against - "to explain what the images mean, as if they don't explain themselves, or as if viewers can't be trusted to work the meaning out on their own. Indeed, the voice-over often seems to attribute a reduced meaning to the visuals; that is it denies them a density they might have by themselves" (Barbash and Taylor, 1997: p. 19). It is typical for the expository documentary style that the narrator speaks about or for other people. Some filmmakers see these voice-overs as "colonial, an enemy of the film, the voice of God" or even as "the (non-existent) view from somewhere" (Barbash and Taylor, 1997: p. 47)

Mercy

Matthew 9:9-1

Evolution of socio-philosophical approaches to mercy in the context of social development

The article is devoted to the study of the evolution of socio-philosophical approaches to charity in the context of social development. The author analyzes the phenomenon of mercy through the prism of various philosophical traditions and views: Confucianism and the period of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, German classical philosophy, Russian religious philosophy, Western philosophical thought of the twentieth century, neo-Marxism and post-Marxism. The author comes to the conclusion that at different periods of the socio-philosophical thought development, the understanding of mercy is different and receives a variety of interpretations: charity, love for neighbors, altruistic love-agape, the manifestation of the subject’s activity in the context of social practice, etc. Mercy appears as an inner motive based on compassion, sacrifice, and active participation in the needs of others. Moreover, the value of mercy permeates all religious trends, defining the role of a person in his/her interaction with all others. At the present stage of development, mercy can be considered as an element of the social ethics of responsibility, and also serves as a factor in the active participation of individuals in self-organizing self-government, the formation of civil associations with the aim of implementing reforms in society

Lisa Wolfinger, Executive Producer of PBS’s Mercy Street, Talks History and Memory

This winter, the Gettysburg Compiler will be releasing weekly posts as part of a Mercy Monday feature that will cover issues of medical history, gender and race relations, historical memory, and other themes depicted in the new PBS series Mercy Street. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Lisa Wolfinger, the executive producer and co-creator of Mercy Street. She kindly agreed to be interviewed by the Gettysburg Compiler about her work on the series. Wolfinger also participated in a recent conversation on local public radio station WITF’s Smart Talk program alongside the CWI’s Jill Titus and Ian Isherwood. You can hear their discussion online at WITF’s website. [excerpt

Abigail and Mercy

The study of history, by its nature, is constantly evolving, as contemporary society reestablishes values and examines history under a new scope of social priorities. During this process of historical evolution, it is not events alone that take on new importance, but also the portrayal of historical figures themselves, personalities and influences changing from biography to biography over the years. Such has been the case with the historical Abigail Adams, best known for her well-preserved and archived correspondence with her husband, the Revolutionary Founding Father John Adams, among many other acquaintances. Abigail Adams has been portrayed in a number of lights over the years, from that of ideal New England matron, to republican mother to wife, and flirtatious, insidious manipulator. Each portrayal was motivated by the historian’s personal agenda, social background, or contemporary context. The true Abigail can hardly be described in a single cliché

Euthanasia, or Mercy Killing

Sadly, there are people in very bad medical conditions who want to die. They are in pain, they are suffering, and they no longer find their quality of life to be at an acceptable level anymore. When people like this are kept alive by machines or other medical treatments, can it be morally permissible to let them die? Advocates of “passive euthanasia” argue that it can be. Their reasons, however, suggest that it can sometimes be not wrong to actively kill some patients, i.e., that “active euthanasia” can be permissible also. This essay reviews these arguments

Review of Mobilizing Mercy: A History of the Canadian Red Cross by Sarah Glassford

Review of Mobilizing Mercy: A History of the Canadian Red Cross by Sarah Glassford