Standards for Behavior

Something that really irks me is when normal people park in handicapped spaces.  Yesterday, I saw two teenagers pull in a handicapped spot and walk right into a store.  On a recent (dreaded) trip to Wal-Mart, I counted 6 of 8 cars parked in the handicapped spaces that had no handicapped stickers or license plates.  When did this become so widespread, or has it always been this way?

Many people think law is what keeps order in society, but that is only partially true.  The primary regulator of behavior is the social contract.  People act in acceptable ways, consciously or not, because everything would fall apart if they didn't.  For example, there are about two million people here in Las Vegas.  If half of the people all went out and committed a crime tonight, there is no way the police could apprehend or ever catch most of them.

What happened in New Orleans is a perfect example of a breakdown in the social contract.  Without a police presence, the hooligans thought they were free to do as they please.  When homeowners and police officers began firing back, the criminals probably realized that with no law in effect, there was no one to protect them either.   

Law and a social contract link together to provide a safe and orderly society.  Those breaking the social contract do more damage then they think because they risk spreading their ideas and behaviors to others.  As history shows, when there are enough bad ideas and people around, civilizations can crumble and disappear.