Peterson: Human and Human Being Zombies Essay

Peterson, Ethan
GEW
Duran
2/8/15
Zombie Morals Fiction of zombies in today’s world depicts them as blood thirsty monsters that will stop at nothing but to eat surviving humans. As the characters in these zombie stories ruthlessly kill the zombies with no remorse and lots of gore, why is that? There are rarely any zombie movies or shows that display the characters with human qualities. These zombies were once humans though family, friends, and people before they turned, isn’t that supposed to bring about emotions and a moral dilemma? These zombies were once children, husband, mothers it is horrifying to think about, and even worse to see these characters slaughter the zombies (once humans). Can’t we find a solution other than killing them? This sounds like a good idea but it is a hard task, how does someone contain so many zombies? Shaun Duke believes in the same ideals he thinks there is a moral problem with killing zombies. “The problem with zombies is their origins: at their worst, they are/were our loved ones (mothers, fathers, children, best friends, wives, husbands, etc.” (Duke) The reality of these zombie killings is the fact that these characters have to cope with killing what was once a human, they live with that guilt. The zombies even still have human characteristics they just are mentally disabled and need help, the survivors must keep their composure and control the outbreak and help those that are infected.
It would be unhuman to kill the zombies because we already take care of humans that have disability’s what makes the zombies different? One fact might be that zombies are looking to eat human flesh and that is their only function, to find survivors and kill them. The survivors have to protect themselves. Which they should do I cannot see why there would be a moral dilemma because by killing the zombies the survivors are saving themselves from dying even worse turning into a zombie after death. I understand that you are killing former people now turned zombies but it is not unmoral, because the zombies are trying to eat the survivors how could killing them be unmoral? The problem is the way the movies, shows go about the killing of the zombies ruthless and brutal is the common theme of a zombie fiction and massive gore not intended to be scary but entertaining. Isn’t that wrong? Some shows and movies are less graphic and story driven like The Walking Dead the characters are shown fighting and killing with the moral dilemma aspect, each kill affects the characters mental state as each episode goes on. I think the way the zombies are killed is the most important aspect of the moral dilemmas the characters face. When they kill the zombies you can notice if the character is feeling remorse or they are insensitive to the fact they are killing humans. Many scenes in The Walking Dead have the characters slowly inserting a knife into one of group members heads after they had passed from being infected. This is not unmoral because if the characters would had not have stabbed their fellow group member they would have risen to walk the earth as a zombie then creating another hard moment when they would have to kill them. Which brings another question is it even right to keep a zombie alive when they are just a vessel of what they were before? They are just mindless human hunters looking to eat human flesh, they don’t have conversations or help others only themselves. The zombies might work together but they are only looking to feed their own hunger. Some might say that humans are no different than zombies in that way the fact that they are only hunting for their own sake.
Some humans in a zombie crisis are only looking to protect themselves, so is it really moral to kill zombies when many act the same in an apocalypse? Even the CDC according to Lauren Davis does not recommend the killing of zombies but the quarantine of them and increased pre caution towards getting infected, they would want to find a cure.

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