We forget that the most powerful influence on any person is his peers. If drug use was unacceptable amongst young people, it would not persist long. If users were seen to be losers, and pushers the criminals they are, then the drug problem would not persist. If those parents who abandoned their parental obligations were exposed as the irresponsible fools they are, then the problem would lessen. In the end, laws can only go so far.
Society has to enforce standards independent of the courts, the police, and the statute books.
In a society where increasingly anything goes, it is important for the media, politicians, and society as a whole to take firm positions and strongly condemn behaviors that are unacceptable. Coercion in the form of laws has limited application. In the end, people have to want to do the right thing in order for society to prosper. This is Peter Shaw's first contribution to Enter Stage Right. All rights reserved.