Q: A college with which I am affiliated discovered that its alma mater was written for a blackface minstrel show in the 1900s. Although the lyrics are innocuous, the school banned the song from this year’s graduation and formed a group to discuss its future use, part of a campaign to make students aware of things they take for granted. Is this a good response, or should the school focus on more important issues? Is it unethical to sing the song? — Julia DeIuliis, Philadelphia
A: Sing out — full-throated, clear-conscienced. I would be reluctant to intone words that might wound. But if, as you note, the lyrics of this alma mater are benign, then dubious origins need not force the college to abjure it.
Much in our culture has evolved beyond its origins. To shake hands once demonstrated that you did not hold a sword, but to extend your hand today does not imply that you suspect another is armed. There are words we use in polite society despite their murky birth: “Philistine,” for example, was a sort of ethnic slur.
The school’s response is not only ethical but also admirable. This particular project may be evaluated for its efficacy — does it achieve this worthy goal? — but should still be praised for its intent. And if from time to time such activities drift toward minor matters, that need not prevent the school from tackling more significant issues.
Q:I live in the Czech Republic. When my girlfriend and I visited Karlstejn Castle near Prague, we noticed a discrepancy in the ticket prices. Foreign-language tours were twice the price of tours conducted in Czech. And where prices for the former were displayed in numerals, the latter were spelled out, making them incomprehensible to most foreigners, perhaps a way to avoid complaints. Foreign- language tour guides might command higher salaries, but is it ethical to charge two different prices? To display the prices in this way? — Richard Conaway, Ostrava
A: There may indeed be legitimate reasons for these prices. They could reflect actual costs, as you note. Or they could be an odd incentive to encourage visitors to learn Czech. Or they could simply offer a discount to inspire Czechs to view their own national heritage, particularly apt if public money in any way supports the castle. (Here in the U.S., many state universities charge state residents less than students from elsewhere.) But whatever the reasons, sound or capricious, prices should be clearly marked so visitors can size up the situation and decide if they want to pay. If this sort of transparency leads to complaints, so be it. Castle managers should be prepared to explain their prices (or to pour boiling oil from the battlements onto visitors who besiege them with complaints).
Send questions and comments for Randy Cohen to Universal Press Syndicate, 4520 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64111, or ethicist@nytimes.com.
