When it is not, it has little educational value. Conservatives, of all people, should recognize that human behavior cannot be so easily modified. Instead of focusing on passing new laws, conservatives should focus on rebuilding America's moral consensus. Doing so will entail hard work. But such a strategy can be effective.
Social mores are critically important in shaping human behavior.
For instance, the war against smoking was largely a private battle until recently, and it was private pressure, not the threat of jail, that forced the practice into retreat. Indeed, history's great moral awakenings have been sparked not by legislation but by religious revival and renewal. Unfortunately, such events cannot be willed. But they can be encouraged. That means a concerted effort to transform the culture.