Homestead mailing list

["Melody O." <melody AT crecon.com>]

At 08:14 PM 10/20/05 -0500, you wrote:
>
>>"The existence of laws, regulations, and procedures has never been
>>sufficient to compel men to obedience. Productive obedience comes through 
>>the exercise of free will." Dean L. Larsen
>
>Hogwash. I found myself driving 80 in a 60 this afternoon--the car likes to 
>go 80 and so do I. Only the fear of a copper nabbing me slowed me down. 
>Free will, shmee will.

I don't believe that the only thing that slows you down is fear of
punishment, Gene.  I believe that you are the type of person that would
slow down in a residential area out of fear of hitting a child.  I believe
that you would slow down on the interstate if you felt that you were being
a hazard.  I believe that you would slow down if you felt the weather made
driving hazardous.  I do *not* believe that *you* need a speed limit law at
all, in fact, because you are a responsible person.

The irresponsible person doesn't obey speed limits even with fear of being
caught but instead try to bypass the consequence by getting radar detectors
and so forth to cue them if there is a cop nearby.  Those people don't
think of anyone outside of themself even with a 25 mph sign alongside the
road.  

Laws do *not* make people behave responsibly, they simply draw a line in
the sand where punishment can be executive if stepped over.  They help
responsible people know where the line is drawn and allow irresponsible
people to be punished when they disobey.  Most people with revoked driver's
licenses drive anyway, showing again, that laws don't make people behave.
  
Best wishes,
Melody