With any major responsibility comes a lot of power. Or maybe by being given a lot of power, comes the major responsibility. Either way, it can get to a person’s head. For example, in the movie “A Few Good Men,” Lieutenant Kendrick was in charge of a group of marines. He ordered the entire unit not to touch Santiago, one of the marines who had fallen ill. However, minutes after they were dismissed, he ordered two men to shave Santiago’s head. It became suspected that he actually ordered a code red.
Although Kendrick wasn’t the one who committed the crime, he was the one who instructed that two of his marines do. This caused a sticky situation because it could have been argued that the two men could have realized the extremity of what they were instructed to do, and denied Kendrick’s order. But Kaffee argued the point that in the marines, it is taught that you do as you’re told, and if you deny it, then you pack your bags and leave. The two marines were simply doing as Kendrick instructed.
Lieutenant Kendrick had no worry in the world. He felt he was invincible and could not become arrested for what he ordered his men to do. Instead, it was the two marines who committed the actual crime that were facing time in prison. When on the stand, the Lieutenant felt as if his power was undermined when Kaffee, the attorney representing the two marines in question, didn’t refer to him as “Sir.” It becomes clear that Kendrick let the power get the best of him, which led him to order the homicide of Santiago, and convince himself that the rules didn’t apply to him because he was a respected marine, and the law couldn’t touch him.
It is important for leaders to keep their morals in check. They can have all the power in the world, but if they don’t use it in the right way, it can lead to some very destructive decisions. It’s equally important to keep in mind that although they may be well respected, it does not excuse them from their bad decisions. If it comes to light, there is a possibility they will be punished for their crimes, just like any, less powerful person would be.
A Few Good Men. Dir. Rob Reiner. Prod. Rob Reiner, David Brown, and Andrew Scheinman. By Aaron Sorkin. Perf. Aaron Sorkin, Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, and Kevin Bacon. Columbia Pictures, 1992.