WHEN RULES FAIL
When disaster strikes, why does law and order break down almost
immediately ?
Whether it is a natural or man-made event, why do the people in
the vicinity sudenly act as though laws don't exist ? During
electricity failures some cities experience looting. In the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina there was intimidation and
shootings. Race and poverty-related riots occur frequently in
major cities. One minute the citizens obey the laws and then
something triggers the citizens to disregard the law.
Could it be that laws are only tolerated and functional in a
society when everything is peaceful and properous ? Is a large
percentage of the population secretly desiring to steal and
maim, but only act upon their depraved impulses when authorities
are distracted and they are likely to avoid punishment ?
When the World Trade Center towers collapsed and the streets
were full of dust and panic, did the authorities prosecute those
who jay- walked or stole drinks from shops ? Were child-care
workers who commandeered shopping trolleys to take the children
to safety charged with a crime ? Are laws against theft less
valid during an upheaval? Is it the law (and the likelihood of
enforcement and punishment) that is deficient, or are people the
problem ? The teenager who stole a bus in New Orleans and drove
dozens of hurricane refugees to safety was initially arrested,
but quickly released and forgiven by authorities.
The only possible explanation is that laws do not apply equally
to all people and do not apply equally through all
circumstances. When legislation is passed and proclaimed, the
politicans neglect to tell us WHO is exempt and WHEN they are
exempt.
Why doesn't the law itself enshrine exceptions eg "It's illegal
to steal a bus, but we'll turn a blind eye if it's for a good
cause." ? Or "It's illegal to loot clothing from a shop, but if
the streets are knee-deep in water, we won't investigate too
thoroughly."
Are citizens assumed to be intelligent enough or cunning enough
to know when a law doesn't apply on a particular day? If so,
then good citizens who obey every law may find themselves at a
disadvantage when trouble strikes.
Survival requirements, poverty, and a desire to acquire
possessions, in combination with a reduced likelihood of being
caught, seem to be the main motivators for a person who is
deciding whether or not to break a law.