Omelas

Omelas is the fictional city described in the short story "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin.

In the story, Omelas is a city of happiness and delight, whose inhabitants are intelligent, cultured and refined. Everything about Omelas is pleasing, except for the secret of its happiness: the good fortune of Omelas requires that an unfortunate child be kept in filth, darkness and misery.

The title describes the reaction of some of the city´s inhabitants to this state of affairs.

Ms. Le Guin hit upon the name of the town on seeing a road sign for Salem, Oregon, in a car mirror.

See also: scapegoat, the problem of evil