Just over a decade ago, Charlie and I extended a March Florida trip to the Keys by stopping for a night in Miami’s fabled South Beach. It was packed with spring breakers, and we could only imagine the impossibility of the lifeguards’ task. It was exactly the image in a glossy spring break brochure, drawing students from far and wide.
It is also a repeated image we have often seen during the gradual relaxing of rules in these pandemic times.
As with most things related to our civil discourse and behavior; We need only look inward at ourselves.
Civility and social morays are dependant on two basic concepts:
1- Communicating what is and is not acceptable behavior (rules/laws).
2- Enforcing those rules and laws (policing)
If our public officials fail to enact and enforce the rules and laws that we have put in place, we have them to blame immediately. We can only blame ourselves if we allow it to continue long term.
If we abdicate that control to the "mobs" or crowds we are actively participating in our demise and what we call civilization.
Laws without order (enforcement) is a useless, meaningless endeavor.
Remember that as you watch the constant, daily out of control rioting that our public officials fail to actively stop or prosecute.
This behavior is not only unlawful, but it's also infectious and insidious in its manifestation with the flaunting of even the most basic laws and rules of social decorum that have no political agenda.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
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As with most things related to our civil discourse and behavior; We need only look inward at ourselves.
Civility and social morays are dependant on two basic concepts:
1- Communicating what is and is not acceptable behavior (rules/laws).
2- Enforcing those rules and laws (policing)
If our public officials fail to enact and enforce the rules and laws that we have put in place, we have them to blame immediately. We can only blame ourselves if we allow it to continue long term.
If we abdicate that control to the "mobs" or crowds we are actively participating in our demise and what we call civilization.
Laws without order (enforcement) is a useless, meaningless endeavor.
Remember that as you watch the constant, daily out of control rioting that our public officials fail to actively stop or prosecute.
This behavior is not only unlawful, but it's also infectious and insidious in its manifestation with the flaunting of even the most basic laws and rules of social decorum that have no political agenda.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.