Poll - Legalities

[Martinez]

I absolutely absolutely absolutely HATE that statement and how it can be used by people for unethical activites. Rules exist for a reason. They are created with a purpose. You may or may not agree to that purpose. This gives people two choices: Knowingly abide by the rule or willfully break it. If you break it, then fess up and take responsiblity for your consequences.

One could make this into a philosophical arguement along the lines of if a tree fell in the forest, does it make a sound. Regardless of if you believe in a higher power such as god or retrubution for your actions, the simple fact is that YOU know it happened: the tree has fallen. Such a statement is about avoiding consequences and your right, people are going to not get caught. You are still guilty of the deed. To me the deed, the action, the intent, the modivation are all far more important than the consequence for they measure the type of person you are.

Show some back bone, display maturity and own up to your actions. All ways always remember that those actions will have the direct influence on others, even if they never become aware of it. Do I bend, break, or not stand for the rules every moment of life? Of course not. Yet that does not matter, nor is it hypocritical, because it is the idea (and living true to that ideal) that matters. For me personally, it is also a issue of personal honor which is something that seems soarly lacking in this modern age.

A friend of mine argued with me what is the point in being honorable conciously knowing that the other person will not be so: that is puts you at the disadvanage and for it you will lose. Well I'm sorrying, if winning is that important to you then that is your problem. Losing with dignity is not losing, at least in my mind. There are more important things than winning such as being a better person for that is winning at life. And yes, I feel this applies at all levels be it the small day to day rules or life and death situations.

There was an example I glossed over about Slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. There are and were morally unethical rules on the books. Those people choose to break the rules !and accept the conquences for them! in order to promote social and political change. The point was to break the rules and get caught so that people would have to deal with issues at hand. Dr. Kings freely accepted resposiblity for his actions which latter resulted in one of his greatest papers coming from jail. The movement was not about shirking responsiblity, it was about awareness in a peaceful fashion.

So after such a long rant, I'm sure the question that needs to be answered is do I speed? Yes, abslutely on a near day to day basis. However, I drive with control and feel as though no ones life is in danger. I am willfully breaking the law to make my life easier. Its a very selfish thing to do. Nor have I been caught. The important difference that I am trying to make clear is that when I am caught, I am not going to haggle with the police officer. I'll take my ticket, pay my fine, and do it with a semismile for these are the results that ultimately I have chosen for myself.