Posted by AKC on July 13, 2001, at 15:00:30
In reply to Re: Why is it ethically wrong . . . » AKC, posted by kazoo on July 13, 2001, at 11:46:57
ethical -- conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct
I guess part of my reason for this post is part of what mila and ted are getting at - it is all about having an opinion - and opinions are to be taken with a grain of salt. Being a professional in a profession that is strictly self-governed, I take very seriously my ethical duties. But that does not mean I don't have opinions about fellow members of my profession, any more than I have an opinion of a movie I saw last week or a restaurant I ate at last night.
Now if someone came to me and asked me for a name of a divorce attorney in Columbia, Missouri (where I went to law school at), right off the bat, I would provide them two names. No hesitation - two of the finest in all the state. Are there bad divorce attorneys in Columbia - you bet - but I wouldn't even mention them. If that same person came back and said, what do you know about Joe Blow, and my opinion of Joe Blow was that he was not a very good attorney, I would say so. If I said he was a lying, cheating, stealing creep - that would be wrong - in fact, it is probably slander (unless I could prove otherwise with hard, cold facts) - would not only be opening myself up to a potential lawsuit, but would be against those ethical (professional) rules that govern my profession.
It just seems sometimes that therapists and doctors won't go down that road at all. Maybe it is because too many of us lawyers have brought too many of them lawsuits and they are just too gunshy to say - Nope, wouldn't use that person. That's all that has to be said. It is not necessary for the person to even say why - No more than I can say - man, I just didn't like that restaurant. Don't want to go into it, just didn't like. That is an opinion - not actionable. Just an opinion. Doctors, therapists, lawyers, teachers, street cleaners, we all have the right to have an opinion. And the rest of us can take that opinion with a grain of salt - and can get second and third opinions.
One of the guys I work with went to the denist this week. The denist found a hole in one of his molars (one back by his wisdom tooth). Greg has a very small mouth. The denist said he can't drill, that the only thing that can be done is to pull the tooth - my reaction - get a second opinion.
AKC
poster:AKC
thread:7371
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