Respect for the Law

Respect for the law can mean many different things for many different people. For some, respect for the law means that people should obey laws, whether they like them or not. But to me, it means that people should acknowledge the laws themselves, and that many are protecting them, not punishing them.

For example, let's take the law of not being able to utilize, possess, or purchase tobacco under the age of 18. That is a national law, and some people may be defiant to its enforcement because it is a barrier for underage smokers. But, what some people don't realize is that this law is for their protection. It is a well-known fact that smoking is dangerous for a person's body, and noting that the government is doing this for the public's advantage is important and is, in my opinion, truly respecting the law.

The prohibition of texting while driving is a local law, and yet, so many people break this law. Since texting is a popular trend with the upcoming new technology these days, the rate of texting while driving --- especially with teenagers --- is increasing. According to edgarsnyder.com, at least 6,000 deaths happen every year, and half a million injuries occur from texting while driving. So, you can see that while this law restricts you from texting, it is mainly for your safety---yet another thing you can benefit from. Without these laws in our country, everything would be chaotic.

Respect for the law is not only people acknowledging what the lawmakers are doing for everyone and obeying them---if people don't approve of them, respect for the law also means that we are taking legal action to strive towards that goal. Yes, not all laws are directly stated for safety; the federal and state tax laws don't say anything about protection. But if you think about it, where do the taxes go? The money goes toward firemen, the military, and police officers---all people who protect us. Some of our money also goes toward schools, which fund places for our children to be educated. Despite the fact that it may or may not be strictly for the sake of safety, everything is for our benefit.

Respect for the law is very important. Acknowledging what laws do for us, obeying them, and taking legal action are all vital for truly respecting the law.