It's the Law!

I guess one of the most inane, stupefying statements ever uttered while I was a kid, and there were many of them, was the one that went something like this: “Laws were meant to be broken.” Huh?

Now I will grant you that when our original parents, Adam and Eve were in the garden they blew it by disobeying God’s laws. To the misfortune of the human race we have continued this act of disobedience with no sign of stopping. But to suggest that we can wantonly disobey laws without suffering the consequences is nothing short of insane! No society that tolerates lawbreakers can expect to survive for very long.

Recently renowned film maker, Roman Polanski, was arrested in Europe and extradited to the United States where he is to face charges of rape and sodomy of a thirteen year old girl when he was forty-four. It is not necessary to elaborate on the sordid details of what took place other than to say Mr. Polanski is a degenerate predator who is totally out of touch with civilized society. When asked about his sordid behavior his comment was, “Why should I be in trouble? I didn’t hurt anyone. All I did was act out of my desire for a young girl.” Mr. Polanski was engaged to marry a fifteen-year-old girl just the year before his ravaging of the thirteen-year-old. In a sane and reasoned world, this man would be labeled a pedophile.

It is stunning to hear the defense of this man’s behavior. I don’t mean just from those in the Hollywood set – I’m talking about those who have called radio talk shows – and conservative shows at that! Has our nation lost its soul? Have we forgotten what morality is?

Then we are introduced to the dalliances of late-night show host, David Letterman. This man is a super star in the world of comedians and has been the most popular late night host since Johnny Carson. So when he gave his mea culpa a few nights ago the audience reaction was – laughter. That’s right. The audience laughed. Then came the defenses of Letterman. He wasn’t married when he had these flings with women who worked for him, goes one of the defenses. One problem: He has been in a conjugal relationship with the same woman since 1986, and has a five year old son with her. They married earlier this year. His wife apparently pressed him to come clean on the relationships.

Here are two men who abused their positions of power and influence to seduce children and women. In the case of Mr. Polanski, he has broken well established laws intended to protect children from predatory adults, and which is also meant to protect all members of society from those who prey on the unsuspecting. As for Mr. Letterman, he hasn’t broken any civil laws. But he has abused his power. The argument is given that he was engaged in behavior between consenting adults.

What is troubling to me is the lack of morality that seems to be so prevalent in our society today. One of these men has broken a civil law, while the other has been a boorish cad.

However, both men have violated the law – God’s law. God gave us laws long ago, which if we were to follow, we would spare ourselves enormous heartache and trouble. For most of us, the first thing that comes to mind is the Ten Commandments. If you and your neighbors were to live by these commandments, you could leave your doors unlocked, garage door open, the keys in the car, etc. Don’t scoff at this. Many of you reading this can remember a day when you grew up in such an environment. The 1950s was the last decade for many of us to enjoy the vestiges of a godly America.

The immortal words of Edmund Burke come to mind, “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Together you and I can make a difference. We do not have to accept such abhorrent behavior that erodes and destroys our families and nation.

Is the soul of America worth fighting for? I believe it is. Won’t you join me in speaking out against these cancers in society? There are many more of us than you might imagine. Let your voice be heard. Let’s make a difference.