The Moral Is

The recent collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh has highlighted the globalized nature of today's apparel industry. On this edition of Valley Public Radio's commentary series The Moral Is, Fresno State professor Madhusudan Katti says that it's time we look at the true cost of fast fashion.

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Are my hands clean?

What happens when society fails to care about people? And why do our priorities as individuals differ so much from our actions as businesses and lawmakers? In this edition of Valley Public Radio's commentary series “The Moral Is” Fresno State business law professor Ida Jones says that uncontrolled greed and a civilized society are incompatible.

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Later this year, when students return to the classroom after summer break, they’ll be greeted by a new curriculum that aims to replace the goals of No Child Left Behind. On this edition of Valley Public Radio’s commentary series “The Moral Is” Kaye Bonner Cummings says this presents a great opportunity to put the arts back in education.

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Shortly after First Lady Michelle Obama took the stage at this year’s Academy Awards, commentators from both Hollywood and inside the beltway erupted with criticism.  It was just the latest chapter in a decades old debate about the proper role of the first lady in contemporary society. On this edition of FM89’s commentary series The Moral Is, Fresno State communication professor Diane Blair says that when it comes to public praise or criticism, it often tells us more about society as a whole than about the first lady herself.

There’s a lot of talk about the importance of “high quality preschool.” But are politicians and the tax-paying public willing to foot the bill? On this edition of FM89’s commentary series The Moral Is, Fresno State education professor Jack Benninga says this new effort may fail if it’s not properly funded. 

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From the effects of climate change to the threat posed by a giant asteroid, there’s a lot of things that we as humans worry about. But when faced with the possibility that humans may suffer the same fate as the dinosaurs, what should our rational response be? On this edition of our commentary series The Moral Is, Fresno State philosophy professor Andrew Fiala points to a pessimistic conclusion.

From the financial crisis of 2008 to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – recent events have put corporate crimes in the spotlight. But what happens when corporations try to use the tax code to skirt their criminal responsibilities? On this edition of FM89's commentary series "The Moral Is," Fresno State business professor Ida Jones says it’s time for companies to pay up.

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The San Joaquin Valley’s communities and farms all blossomed our of a desert landscape thanks to available water supplies. But with an increasing population, and global warming, how we use this most precious resource is becoming more and more important. In this edition of FM89’s commentary series "The Moral Is", Fresno State biology professor Madhusudan Katti says it’s time for us to turn off our sprinklers.

With today's poisonous atmosphere in Washington, D.C., calls for a return to politeness and civility in politics are common. But in this edition of our commentary series The Moral Is, Fresno State professor Diane Blair says the real issue is the ability to compromise. 

The views expressed on The Moral Is are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Valley Public Radio.

Recent injuries to NFL stars like Robert Griffin III and Alex Smith have brought considerable attention to the ethical dilemmas of sports, and specifically how players or coaches disclose injuries.  In some cases, such as Smith's, disclosing an injury can cost a player his or her job.