154 Morals & Values

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There are few things in political debate as abused and fraught with hypocrisy as the citation of moral values as the reason to do something. Not only does self-righteous indignation germinate from the feeling of grandiose moral superiority, both detestable qualities, but nothing is more subjective. We did not grow up in the same neighborhoods, attend the same churches, nor even go to schools that uniformly espoused a consistent set of morals. If you believe you have been wronged, or someone else needs protection from whatever degradation, injustice, attack, or deprivation, seek recompense in the law, that is what it is there for. An entire constitutionally provided for and universally applied judicial system has been constructed to determine what is “moral” so you don’t have to.</p> <p>Other than the Rights guaranteed in the Constitution, and those that derive from it, you have no further responsibilities placed on you unless you have explicitly accepted an obligation. That means you have no legal responsibility to feed the hungry, nor shelter the homeless, nor provide jobs to the populace. As a society, we may choose to provide some minimum of these things, but you, as an individual, have no such obligation. If others declare self-righteously that you indeed do owe these things, and attempt to use shame & ridicule to force you into providing them, those people are trying to impose their will on you, they are attempting to control you their own interpretation of morals & values.</p>