Q1
The answer to this question might seem obvious to most people as it is unthinkable and unjust that a child must go through inhumane conditions for everyone else's happiness and that staying could be viewed as being selfish for taking advantage of the child. This view is also further backed up by the poll on the blog as almost fifty percent of the class said they would leave.
Personally I do not think I would leave Omelas. While I believe the “just” or “right” decision is to leave Omelas, realistically it would be easier said than done. If everything else about Omelas is as perfect as it sounds, then it would be a lot harder to leave after being part of such society rather than making a quick decision behind the computer. It's difficult to judge something without actually experiencing it. This might seem contradictory to my opinion as it gives me no justification to say that I would stay in Omelas without actually having lived there, however there is more to it then just that point.
We take our society and living conditions for granted as we are living in an almost perfect or at least vastly better than those living in todays third-world countries. To a citizen living in Somalia for example, our society might seem almost perfect or even utopic, in the same way we initially viewed Omelas. However our comfortable way of life comes with a price. For food and basic living conditions, children from poor families are forced to work to produce goods for richer countries. These children work under harsh working conditions as they work for hours with very minimal pay. They struggle to make anything from carpets to Nike shoes. The stakes are even higher as it effects over one hundred million children around the world. This is a well-known global issue and yet people still buy products from these countries, indirectly funding the business of child labor. In this way, Omelas becomes a vague representation of reality as many people live in great conditions while knowing it is in expense of others' suffering. I buy these products as well even though I'm fully aware, because those items became a part of my lifestyle. That is why I am hesitant on leaving Omelas because change is difficult. If I can't change my way of life in the real society, then it would be ridiculous to claim that I would in an utopic one. Those who would leave however, are the strong-willed whom, in comparison, strictly buy local goods and participate in programs and campaigns to stop child labor.
Unfortunately, I do not think most people would change their own lives for the sake of others. Many people, including myself, would attempt to leave Omelas but I think most would come back because changing a lifestyle that has been engraved in our minds for years is more difficult than it sounds.
