Law vs. moral values by Walter Williams

Today’s article of the day is from the Washington Times:

A civilized society’s first line of defense is not the law, police and courts but customs, traditions and moral values.

Behavioral norms, mostly transmitted by example, word-of-mouth and religious teachings, represent a body of wisdom distilled over the ages through experience and trial and error. They include important thou-shalt-nots such as shalt not murder, shalt not steal, shalt not lie and cheat, but they also include all those courtesies one might call ladylike and gentlemanly conduct. The failure to fully transmit values and traditions to subsequent generations represents one of the failings of the so-called greatest generation.

Behavior accepted as the norm today would have been seen as despicable in yesteryear. There are television debt-relief advertisements that promise to help debtors to pay back just half of what they owe. Foul language is spoken by children in front of and sometimes to teachers and other adults. When I was a youngster, it was unthinkable to use foul language to an adult; it would have meant a smack across the face. Back then, parents and teachers didn’t have child-raising “experts” to tell them that timeout is a means of discipline. Baby showers are held for unwed mothers. In yesteryear, such an acceptance of illegitimacy would have been unthinkable.

For men to sit while a woman or elderly person stood on a crowded bus or trolley car once was unthinkable. It was common decency for a man to give up his seat. Today, some cities require public conveyances to set aside seats posted “Senior Citizen Seating.” Laws have replaced common decency.

Years ago, a young lady who allowed a guy to have his hand in her rear pocket as they strolled down the street would have been seen as loose. Children addressing adults by first names was unacceptable.

You might be tempted to charge, “Williams, you’re a prude!” I’d ask you whether high rates of illegitimacy make a positive contribution to a civilized society. If not, how would you propose that illegitimacy be controlled? In years past, it was controlled through social sanctions, including disgrace and shunning.

Is foul language to or in the presence of teachers conducive to an atmosphere of discipline and respect necessary for effective education? If not, how would you control it? Years ago, simply sassing a teacher would have meant a trip to the vice principal’s office for an attitude adjustment administered with a paddle.

Years ago, the lowest of lowdown men would not say the kind of things often said to or in front of women today. Gentlemanly behavior protected women from coarse behavior. Today, we expect sexual-harassment laws to restrain behavior.

During the 1940s, my family lived in North Philadelphia’s Richard Allen housing project. Many families didn’t lock doors until late at night, if ever. No one ever thought of installing bars on the windows.

Hot, humid summer nights found many people sleeping outside on balconies or lawn chairs. Starting in the ’60s and ’70s, doing the same in some neighborhoods would have been tantamount to committing suicide.

Keep in mind that the 1940s and ’50s were a time of gross racial discrimination, high black poverty and few opportunities compared with today. The fact that black neighborhoods were far more civilized at that time should give pause to the excuses that blame today’s pathology on poverty and discrimination.

Policemen and laws can never replace customs, traditions and moral values as the means for regulating human behavior. At best, the police and criminal justice system are the last desperate line of defense for a civilized society. Our increased reliance on laws to regulate behavior is a measure of how uncivilized we’ve become.

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University.