Setting Things Right | How To Fix The Problems In Our World

From the Google Dictionary:

mor·al

noun /ˈmôrəl/  /ˈmär-/  morals, plural A lesson, esp. one concerning what is right or prudent, that can be derived from a story, a piece of information, or an experience - the moral of this story was that one must see the beauty in what one has A person's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do - the corruption of public morals Standards of behavior that are considered good or acceptable - they believe addicts have no morals and cannot be trusted adjective /ˈmôrəl/  /ˈmär-/  Concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character - the moral dimensions of medical intervention - a moral judgment Concerned with or adhering to the code of interpersonal behavior that is considered right or acceptable in a particular society - an individual's ambitions may get out of step with the general moral code Holding or manifesting high principles for proper conduct - he is a caring, efficient, moral man Derived from or based on ethical principles or a sense of these - the moral obligation of society to do something about the inner city's problems Examining the nature of ethics and the foundations of good and bad character and conduct - moral philosophers

in·teg·ri·ty

noun /inˈtegritē/  The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness - he is known to be a man of integrity The state of being whole and undivided - upholding territorial integrity and national sovereignty The condition of being unified, unimpaired, or sound in construction - the structural integrity of the novel Internal consistency or lack of corruption in electronic data - integrity checking

Moral integrity is the bedrock upon which all human societies rest. Each society has stories that define its collective morals, and from them the integrity of each individual can be gauged. A society who's citizens and leaders routinely stray from these principles as a matter of course is a society in jeopardy.

Where, honestly, do you stand relative to our societal moral compass?

We Americans tell ourselves we're the freest, bravest people on earth, yet we are terrified to speak out against things we see as injustices. We censor ourselves so effectively, we've painted ourselves into a corner of our own making.

Who tells us it is wrong to speak out? Who tells us it is wrong to challenge a position of authority? We do! But why?

If a person asks you an inappropriate question, do you tell them it's none of their business, or do you give them the information? Think about that.

If a police officer were to ask to search your vehicle, would you automatically say yes because you're more afraid of being judged as guilty by a person in no authority to do so? If you were taken into an interrogation, would you remain absolutely silent, only asking for an attorney, knowing it was your best opportunity to escape that situation? Not likely.

Have you ever role played these scenarios with someone? You should.

The 'authorities' have a higher standard they must adhere to, but those standards are routinely ignored due to expediency. There was a time when a town cop would drive you home if he pulled you over for drunk driving. We've now criminalized this common behavior, but haven't really looked at the overall societal benefit or loss.

Our society has not been dumbed down; much to the contrary. I believe our society is now better informed as a whole than at any other time in our history. It is now just a matter of acting on the information we now have in a peaceful but determined fashion.

In order to right our ship of state, we need to get back to three principles:

1) Equal protection under the law--no exceptions. Congressmen cannot be exempt from the laws they enact. Neither may the President or any other body. Corporate officers must be held to account for crimes they and their companies commit. Period.

2) Your body is your property and what you do with it is your own business, for better or worse. Period. (I borrow that from Karl Denninger because I agree with it fully)

3) The highest purpose of government is to prevent the use of force or fraud against its citizens. If this principle were strictly adhered to, the housing and financial crisis would never have happened, or there would be thousands of people in prison who are today earning obscene salaries both in New York and Washington D.C. (Again, borrowed from Karl Denninger)

Those principles may be applied across the spectrum, from the federal government all the way to local town councils and the sheriff. If everyone realized these principles founded what would become one of the greatest nations on earth and decided to reform our ways, we could get there again.