Throughout America’s history, there have always been laws that regulated citizens’ personal behavior. Among the Puritans of the 18th century, for example, adultery was a serious crime, as The Scarlet Letter makes clear. Today we have laws forcing motorcycle riders to wear helmets, laws that make suicide illegal, and laws against speeding on an empty highway, among many others. Where should society draw the line between personal and political actions? Should society have the right to tell you how to behave on your own time? Why or why not?
Post your response below. Due by November 9.
I do not believe that our society would have the notion, nor does it have the right, to tell you how you should act on your own part. However, it is the individial's own responsibility, and society does realize this, to know the difference between right and wrong, a positive and negative consequence. I believe that if the individual's actions directly affect society in any negative way, then they have the right to enforce action to prevent any and all mishaps from happening due to the sole irresponsibility of one individual.
ReplyDeleteK Johnson
Tidwell G4 English 11 Honors
I agree, Kerah. Our constitution provides us with many rights; however, we must abide by the laws. It depicts what type of person you are by what you do when no one is looking...
ReplyDeleteI believe all of our societies laws are here for our protection,some better or more lenient than others, but all have a specific purpose. Many people can act greatly idiotic when by themselves or with friends on "their own time". This can result heavily in scarce activity or actions that they would do when around others such as in public or a closed vicinity. Society has only made these laws because it must keep balance and order within people to function properly but it does have a small toll on the persons character and responsibility to behave or act as if somebody is looking, even when not. Mentioned in this quote said by J.C Watts, "Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught." All of a persons actions have an effect on them or somebody else, that is why laws and regulations are essential in society.
ReplyDeleteDevyn Moore
November 07
Green-3 Honors
I agree with the laws society has instilled for us to follow. Although adultery is very personal and some see the punishments/consequences for such actions to be extreme, morally I agree that it is a serious crime and one that affects everyone; especially the child or children involved. I also look at the laws as a sort of seatbelt that is designed to protect the people who follow them. Especially if a person's actions affect other people in a harmful manner are such laws regarding "personal" actions need not be taken lightly. Now the justice system is another concern entirely...
ReplyDeleteMallory Jones
11/7/10
Green 2 H
i belive that our safety is our own decision. we shouldnt have to wear seat belts if we dont want to. Even though it may be a good decision to we shouldnt be told too.
ReplyDeleteLucas Nelson
green 4
i think this quote has to do with ethics, what you think is right versus what others say is right. although the government shouldnt make these decisions for us there is some right to their decisions. in the case of the scarlet letter i dont think society had any right to judge her for her actions even if in puritan lifestyle it is frowned upon.
ReplyDeleteJessica Fox
green 2
I believe society has a right to tell you how to behave to an extent. If it affects your health or safety, then they should have a right to step in. They should let you make your own choices, but if you try and do something crazy, then stop you. They should not tell you how to do the little things though.
ReplyDeleteI believe that many of these laws are important for not only the safety for you, but also the safety of people around you. Wearing a seatbelt may be uncomfortable but it can keep you safe. On the other hand i do not believe that we should be told to wear them, and we definently dont deserve tickets for it. In all, Some of these are important to a society, others are kind of ignorant but a lot of it is to keep us safe.
ReplyDeleteJoey Hicks
green 3
I believe that society has the right to tell you how to behave. I believe this because even though it is your time, you could be hurting someone else on their time... They make these laws to keep you from hurting others and to keep yourself safe. For example just because you want to commit suicide on your own time your still hurting your family and friends.
ReplyDeleteEmily Schmid
green 2
I think that things that do not pertain to society should not be addressed in a matter in which society can react in a form of punishment. What people do in there own time should not be put out in the open as a punishment. society does not have the write to poke there nose into peoples business unless it is affecting the whole society. There is a point where society and personal issues can intertwine, but until that happens society and personal should be seprate.
ReplyDeleteJazimine Davis
Green 4
I think that society does have the right to tell us what to do. The laws are in place to keep us safe and others safe. They keep us from hurting ourselves and others. We can choose to disobey these laws but we will be hurting other people and ourselves if we do.
ReplyDeleteNatalie Robinson
green 2 honors
In my opinion, I think society should draw the line when it is concerning one’s personal life but should in force the law to keep everyone from danger or harming one another. One’s personal life should be kept personal and no one should have the right to have a say in their actions but when it involves one’s or another’s life, they should have some authority over it. I think society should have the right to tell you how to behave on your own time to some extent in order to protect others or yourself from harm. Overall it should be one’s responsibility to determine if their action is appropriate or not.
ReplyDeleteKathleen Rovira
Green 4
I think that society is often too harsh on its laws. Honestly, if someone wants to speed on an empty highway that it purely up to them. If they are not putting others in danger then it should just be personal choice. Although some laws which could be personal choice are necessary. For example, using a cell phone while driving can be dangerous. You can be very careful and use a bluetooth but some people get caught up in their conversations , dont pay attention and may miss someone coming into their lane or slowing down. Overall, while some laws should not be enforced, I understand the need for some sort of limitation on things.
ReplyDeleteCassie Curtis
Green 3
I believe that our society does not have the right to tell people how to act, but only to a certain degree. If it concerns the way it affects our daily lives, then we should agree to follow particular rule or law. However, if it concerns somebody doing something that isn't harmful to anyone else then the society shouldn't punish that person.
ReplyDeleteBryan Marshall
Green 4
Society should be able to tell you what do without getting out of hand. Personally we should not have to be told what to do but because people can be so irresponsible,its somewhat correct that there should be laws made to protect us from our own isanity as well as others.When it comes to people commiting suicide society should really draw the line. What can you do when that person is dead? Now if it is someone else trying to commit a homicide then they should step in.
ReplyDeleteImani Nixon
Green 4
I believe that society has made laws for certain reasons. Others could get hurt because of the actions you decided to make. Even though some things are really dumb its better to take the safe route than the dangerous one. Though society should not have the right to tell you what to do but you should be thinking of others instead of yourself, especially if you know you put your life in danger then putting other peoples lives as well. So to an extent society does have the right to tell what to do and what not to do.
ReplyDeleteDanielle Settle
Green 2
I believe that society can tell us how to live to a certain point. Our constitution gives us certain rights: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. If society begins to take away these rights and our other rights that we have as Americans, then I think that society has gone too far. But, there still needs to be somekind of law in place to insure the safety of the people. I believe that on your own time, people should know what is right and wrong and should be able to do what they want to a certain point. If they cross the line between having fun and putting others at risk, then I think that society should step in and do what they have to do to keep the people safe.
ReplyDeleteZach Scherrer
Green 4
I think that society has a small right to tell us how to do things. If we go about and do our own thing then the odds are it will end up being horrible. The people as whole would become unorderly and reckless. I personally beleive that society has no right to tell us how to behave on our own time because we are not societys children or responsibilty.
ReplyDeleteConnor Hudgins
11-8-10
Green 4
I believe that society has the right to certain things on how to do things. If we were just allowed to do anything, at any time, anywhere and I guarentee it would cause choas. People would take advantage and things would probably never get done. Also if we had no boundaries then people would just got wild. Society should not be able to mislead us into thinking that we are just horrible people if we make mistakes though.
ReplyDeleteBrittany Perry
G2
I personally dont think that society should frown upon people or even look at people differently because of a descision that we as a person think is morally right. We DO live in America, where we have a right to act the way we want without criticisim. Im not saying that we can go do WHATEVER we would like but we shouldnt not do what we would like to just because society says it is "wrong". But we are people and we all act differently so really theres something that someone can point out that they dont agree with, it called the pursuit of happiness.... we all can pursuit happiness however we want as long as it doesnt break a law.
ReplyDeleteAdam West
G2
i do not believe that society should interfere too much into citizens personal lives. however, if a person's actions endanger their lives or the lives of other people then measures must be taken to stop that action. but society should not have the right to regulate how you live your life on your time because our nation is based on freedoms that allow you to express yourself
ReplyDeleteDonte Ross
G2
I don't agree that society and people of power should dictate the way that we lives our lives. Suicide should not be illegal because that is the person's personal choice in life as whether to end it or not. Motorcyclists should not be enforced to where helmets because again it is their, stupid, but personal choice. If they want to take the risk of their brains being splattered all over a four to eight lane highway, well then let them have at it. Someone else can explain to their family why they can't tell the difference between last night's road kill and their relatives guts. Somethings however, should be closely monitored such as speeding even on an empty highway. There is still the chance of flipping your brand new car over on a highway and obviously if it was empty, well you wouldn't be getting any help for a while. Society should pick where to draw the line very carefully, otherwise people might not try to solve the issue in an orderly manner.
ReplyDelete-Taylor Stall
i do not agree that society should have the right to tell what we can and can not do. it is our rights to do what we want to do. as long as it does not break the law and we should know what is wrong and what is right. we are almost adults. i am not saying that we all make good decisions, but that is not society's choice to say what is wrong and what is right.
ReplyDelete-Zack Taylor
G2
I believe society should not limit private decisions at all, but should have laws in place that limit behavior in public. There is no reason to control you on your own time unless it adversely affects or endangers the general public.
ReplyDeleteI think that the law is both helping and hindering their power to make new laws. But they should draw the line when a law has something to do with our personal lives.Besides some of our laws are there to protect us from harm, but that doesn't mean everylaw does. It's just stupid.
ReplyDeleteKia Smith
11/10/2010
G4
I think that society should be aloud to create laws dealing with our personal actions. Even though we may not like the laws or even agree with them, it will not only keep you safe but the others around you safe. If we did not have laws that interferred with our personal lives, then everyone would be going crazy doing dangerous things that could harm themselves and other people. These laws should be followed even if you are against it or think it is unfair. They are for our own good.
ReplyDeleteSarah Hester
Block G4
11/10/10
I think that we should have several laws that deal with our personal decisions but nothing that digs to deep into our personal lives. We should have a right to do what we want to do but not if it gets way out of hand and that is where the laws should come into play. We dont need laws to write out our whole life decisions but we do need boundaries. There is a time when laws are and arent needed and the laws need to respect some of our personal actions.
ReplyDeleteMegan Baldwin
Block 4
11/10/10
I believe there should be a definite line drawn with personal and social control. Many examples can be seen in literature of an out-of-control governmental figure, such as in 1984 or Fahrenheit 451, and it reflects in an extreme manner how sometimes law can restrict our freedom rather than preserve it. As society is ever-changing, it is difficult to define that line upon where behaviour should be controlled personally or by authoritative means. However, there should ultimately be boundaries on behaviours that can be damaging to oneself and/or others, such as the helmet and speeding laws. Without any control whatsoever, calamity would ensue.
ReplyDeleteErin Gainer
Green 4
in my opinion society should deffinently have the right to tell people what to do, but to an extent. If the laws made pertain to the safety of others, then i think that they should take total control over that. Also if the laws make the the area or city a better place then they should have the right. But once it comes into privacy matters then they should be introuble. The people that make the laws could be very biased over the things people might be doing; The things arent doing any harm or any wrong. In that sense i think society should not tell people how to behave unlesss it puts others into danger.
ReplyDeleteShakil Yusuf
Block 4
English 11
In my opinion society does have the right and should always have the right to regulate people's behavior, even in their own time because sometimes people do not make rational decisions for themselves, or they just do not think things through clearly; when they know that there is a law about it, they are way less likely to do something wrong, like purposely putting their life in their own hands. People may argue that they have this right, but in some cases that could have an affect on more than just themselves, putting others in harm so we deffinately need laws like this.
ReplyDeleteSociety makes these laws and enforces them to protect us in a way. Like the fact that you do have to wear a motorcycle helmet when riding or speeding on the highway. It is for our own good so we do not hurt ourselves. On the other hand i do not think they should have the ability to make laws strictly for our personal behaviors. What we do on our own time should be our own business. But then again if what we do effects society as a whole negatively, then we must be punished for those actions. So there does need to be laws like the ones now in order to keep people in check.
ReplyDelete