Why do we have rules and laws?
The answer to that seems obvious: to keep us safe. This is what I found when I “googled” the difference between rules and laws. “Both rules and laws help in maintaining peace and order in a society, but rules are unwritten whereas laws are written and codified. There are enforcement authorities in the form of police and judiciary for laws, whereas rules are followed and adhered to by the people themselves.”
If rules and laws are for our own good, why then do some people resist them so strongly?
From our earliest days, rules have controlled our activities. Parents caution us to look both ways before crossing the street and to hold their hand while doing so. Don’t hit your brother and sister. Clean your plate! In school, teachers guide our lives: Walk on the right side of the hallway, keep your hands to yourself, raise your hand to talk, do your schoolwork. In society, there are rules for using pools, the dog park, sidewalks, etc.
As teens, the above rules continue except for holding a parent’s hand when crossing the street. Added are curfew times, acceptable behavior, and rules governing driving a car.
Of course, the ultimate law for the citizens of the United States is the Constitution which states the fundamental laws and the basic rights of a U.S. citizen.
Years ago, when we managed a church camp, one of the counselors didn’t like a rule and challenged us with “Rules are made to be broken.” If that is the case, why even have rules? Should every individual decide for himself/herself what rules s/he will adhere to?
What then are principles? Rules are imposed by an outside source like an organization or schools and must be obeyed in order to avoid a penalty, such as time out. Principles, not to be confused with principals who enforce school rules, are internal and guide a person in how to behave in everyday situations.
You might have guessed by now that something happened to precipitate my thinking about this topic. I have the State Farm Drive Safe and Save app on my phone. It lets me know when I have driven over the speed limit, so I try very hard to obey the speed signs — which are not suggestions. It is insanely frustrating the chances people take whether tailgating or passing in unsafe areas because they choose to ignore the posted signs and do their own thing. The speed limit of 15 is posted in the apartment complex where I live, but many don’t adhere to it making it very unsafe for bikers, walkers, and children. While taking my grandson to his job, I was nearly hit twice by cars turning right on red. While it is legal, people still need to be smart when doing it. Perhaps laws are only as good as the drivers and enforcement.
I asked a few people to tell me how rules and principles affect their lives. The following are some of their statements.
• Learned from the Air Force: Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do.
• Leverage your life for benefit of others.
• Live your life with honesty and kindness.
• Strive for honesty, sincerity, loyalty, morality, and personal accountability.
• Treat others with kindness.
• Live with honesty and integrity.
• Don’t be judgmental, rather factual and objective.
• Live the Golden Rule: “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.” (From The Message, the Bible in Contemporary Language.)
Act For Libraries, a community of science, medical, health and wellness professionals, experts, and ordinary consumers has this to say about rules that have come through religion. “History tells us that all religions known to man have a set of principles and rules to follow. For many, the Christian tenets laid down in the Bible and the Ten Commandments provide an ethical and moral framework. Through Buddhism, we understand how behavior is driven never to hurt another creature, to do good and never evil. Taoism encourages letting go of all that is self-serving or damaging to ourselves or others.”
Recently, I attended a movie. The woman sitting next to me had the biggest purse I’ve ever seen. She produced from it an unending supply of treats for her family sitting in the next four seats. We all know why the theater company determines that no food should be brought into the theater. But why do people prefer to bend rules to their own end?
Here’s the Thing: Do you live in a world where you see laws and rules in black and white or do you live in a world with gray areas – do what you want and hope not to get caught? As I wrote this, I was reminded of the famous line from Anne Frank in her diary as she lived in a scary world governed by Nazis: “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.” Are rule breakers “good at heart” if they are not considering people other than themselves? When you get behind the steering wheel of your car, are you concerned for the well being of others or only in what you want and where you are going?
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Editor’s Note: This is one of a series of articles written by a group of retired and current teachers — Ken Ballinger, Jean Harper, Billy Kreigh, Marianne Darr-Norman, and Anna Spalding. Their intent is to spur discussions at the dinner table and elsewhere. You may also voice your thoughts and reactions via The News-Banner’s letters to editor.
