Breaking the law moraly

Americans all live by a very specific set of rules that are enforced by the government and police officers. These rules are in place because they are what citizens have decided are humans’ collective morals. Sure, some laws are working more to protect and keep people safe, but most are based on ethics. People as a whole have decided somethings are not okay, like stealing, fraud, rape or incest. 

But not everything that the law prohibits fits with general public’s ideas of morality. In fact, most people follow the law because they know what is right and what is wrong, not because of fear of the retribution.  

The real question is, who’s morals are the laws based on? Theoretically it should be the people’s. But, is it really?  

With the progression of time, people are losing respect for law and the system. With police brutality at an unbelievable high, people being arrested or given unnecessarily long or harsh punishments because people in our judicial system can have a strong bias against entire groups of people. Excuses get made for crime against all different kinds of minorities. There is very small population that this bias helps.  

It is very easy to not feel guilty about any illegal activity one partakes in if they realize how unfair the government is. Raging against the machine. The cruel, corrupt machine.  

Aside from general law, there are many places where morals are not supported by the law. 

Getting into concerts or venues that are not all ages, copyright infringement, public nudity, not reporting tips on income tax, trespassing and spray–painting vacant buildings are all fairly ethical activities that would get one in trouble with the law. 

There are also many more serious acts against the law that follow one’s principals. Getting an abortion in places in the world where it is prohibited is a good example of this.  

Families trying to cross the border, or living illegally in America to escape bad conditions, or helping families live illegally in the U.S are also examples of a serious legal transgression that may be ethically okay. 

People think some drugs should not be constrained the way they are, so they feel little guilt when partaking in such activities.  

Stealing from corrupted monopolies is another example of people breaking the law but not being unethical. 

Now more than ever people are staring to question the law and work to change it.