1. How successful do you think the laws are in your country?
On the whole I’d say that the laws work pretty well. The law ensures that criminals and other people who wish harm on people are not tolerated. Some people think they need improvement to protect the interests of minorities who may feel that the law does not look out for them as much as it does for other people. Others complain that some laws are too harsh and that they want more freedom, but there aren’t that many. To be honest, I’m groping in the dark when it comes to telling you about the law in China because I’m not a citizen here.
2. Do you think it's important for people to obey laws?
On the face of it this sounds like a ridiculous question. Of course it’s important for people to obey laws! If they didn’t then there’d be anarchy and chaos in the streets. The rule of law is the main reason why society can function. Yet, despite this obvious answer, there are some occasions where following the law to the letter is not always necessary. Most of us have broken the law at least once in our life, even if it’s something very minor. There are many laws that are good to follow in general, but if they are broken once in a while there’s no real harm. Also, some laws are just downright unfair and should be broken as a form of protest. The Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.A. saw thousands of people deliberately breaking the law to achieve greater justice in their country.
3. What are some ways that people can be encouraged to obey the law?
Following the law is generally in everybody’s self-interest. If we break the law then we can’t complain about other people who break it also, so that’s one logical argument to make. One way people are ‘encouraged’ to obey the law is by the threat of punished if they break it. Most people know that is you break the law you will be arrested and either fined or sent to jail. There are no two ways about it. Another reason people obey the law is that they know the law is there to make their lives better and safer, and so they choose to follow it.
4. Many people think that an occasional, minor breach of the law is ok. What do you think?
I tend to agree, especially if the law in question is pointless or does more harm than good. For example, it’s illegal to cross a busy road at any point other than a pedestrian crossing. This is a stupid law. It does absolutely no harm to cross the road, so why is it illegal? I’d say it’s merely because it seems more orderly for everyone to cross the road in one place. But this doesn’t actually make people’s lives better; in fact it makes them worse by making them walk a long way just to cross the road in a particular place. Indeed, many policemen will turn a blind eye to very minor infringements like this because they would rather use their time stopping real crimes from happening like theft or assault.
