Friday, October 5, 2007

Society

We live in a civilized society. It consists of people from all walks of life going about their daily lives, professional and personal. Each day, people interact with each other, they socialize, they collaborate, they grow families, and they break relationships.

We have rules and regulations that help us in our interactions. Follow the rules, and you are welcomed by all. But break them, and you are incarcerated and locked away in a cell.

This is how civilized societies operate .. for the greater good. One gets rewarded for the good deeds, and punished for the bad ones.

I sometimes wonder what is the purpose of the punishment. Is it to make a person realize his mistakes and become a better person? Or is it to act as a deterrent so the person does not make the same mistake again?

Are either of these goals ever achieved in reality?

Today, sadly, it is a terrible state of affairs. Corruption and greed have muddied the very principles on which free societies are formed. Money and clout can buy you freedom from the most heinous of crimes. Street-smart lawyers can take a open and shut case and turn it upside down. Not only is justice rarely served, but the innocent person ends up at the gallows.

It is time for each one of us to refuse this injustice .. refuse to accept the status-quo .. refuse to just sit back and watch the show.

It is time to stand up and make a difference .. for the greater good of society.

6 comments:

Pri said...

yess i totally agree...its only us who can really make a difference...
but nobody bothers to take the first step...its really a sorry state of affairs...

Compassion Unlimitted said...

A small step is the best way.To begin with ,every individual themself.But the honest truth is we fail ourself.Instead of saying I will never commit a mistake..say a bribe,a lie..can we say i will consciously avoid these..ie simply reduce it..this itself will bring it down..the misery,the frustration in and around us
Good luck
TC
CU

Quaint Murmur said...

I read this editorial in the DNA [of all places] asking people if they would qualify as 'soft criminals'...

People who underpay their maids, are rude to other people for the sake of it, people who litter, people who take bribes and those who resort to giving them. Things that don't kill anyone, just their system of morals.

Interesting question, non?

Cosmic Joy said...

@pri - it sure is a sorry state, but is not a hopeless state. At the very least, we can each do our own part .. and that will be a good beginning.

@CU - I agree totally. But times are changing. I feel that as progress is made economically and socially, the next crop of society will be honest and law-abiding.

@quaint murmur - Oui. The question definitely is interesting. It's the kind of question that exposes the moral fabric of our society. I would be interested in knowing what the outcome of that survey was ..

Quaint Murmur said...

oh i have no idea what the outcome was...i don't think it had an answer...
it was just a very relevant question posed to every reader.

though i would like to know what other people thought of it. most people probably won't even consider the fact that you underpay a maid, a bad thing....which is sad, but that is the state of affairs today!

Deepali said...

>>>I sometimes wonder what is the purpose of the punishment..... same mistake again?

Religion is one of the first places I realized about a punishment / reward system. Most days I believe it is just to scare people so they don't do what they aren't 'suppose' to be doing.

Taking a stand is one thing, being able to live by it a totally other. Most of us make the start and then just stop...

:(