The first stars are visible in the sky and it is time to chew the fat about the day that just passed by...
Voluntary morality!
Posted 2nd December 2007 at 03:31 AM by Cheeniya
The other day I saw a limousine overtaking my humble car by cutting across the yellow line. As the car sped ahead of me, I saw its rear screen plastered with the logo of a famous international service organization. I could see a distinguished gentleman at the wheel having an animated conversation on his cell phone. I had the pleasure of meeting this gentleman later when I visited his club as a guest of a member there. I came to know that he was a senior member of the outfit in Chennai who usually addressed the members on the Objectives of the Organisation and allied subjects. On the particular day he was talking on Morality being the underlining principle of the Organisation. It was a thought provoking speech that drew a standing ovation on conclusion. He had more admiring glances thrown at him that day than any other Club luminary ever got on any given day. If the lights had gone off at that moment, we could have even seen a halo round his head. I was appalled by this spectacle of Sainthood thrust upon an unworthy man because I had witnessed this man breaking law on two counts on a single occasion. At my very first encounter with him, he had not only cut across the yellow line but was also using the cell phone while driving, both actions considered illegal in this part of the world. He was doing it right under the Logo of the Organisation that he so proudly displayed in his car.
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I recall what Lincoln Steffens had said about morality. He said “Morality is moral only when it is voluntary.” There are two kinds of law-abiding citizens in this country. A majority of us are law abiding only in the presence of law enforcement agency and the rest, which is a small percentage, are law-abiding in all situations. How often we respect traffic signals if there is no traffic or a policeman in sight? We drive in the wrong direction in one-way streets at dead of night telling ourselves it is beyond <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:time Hour="23" Minute="0">11 p.m.</st1:time> <o:p></o:p>
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I have seen some buildings with their compound walls painted with the pictures of gods to discourage the public from committing nuisance, which is an expression commonly used to refer to people who consider any open space as public toilet. I am told that the results of such an experiment are excellent though there are a few hardcore law-breakers who remain unmoved by such methods. The presence of his Club’s logo in his car and workplace should be as much of a deterrent to breaking laws as that of gods’ pictures on compound walls to people who consider the whole open world as a public toilet! Whether or not there is a traffic cop around or there is total absence of any traffic, the sheer presence of the logo should dissuade him from breaking the law of the land, however minor the offence may be. <o:p></o:p>
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I recall what Lincoln Steffens had said about morality. He said “Morality is moral only when it is voluntary.” There are two kinds of law-abiding citizens in this country. A majority of us are law abiding only in the presence of law enforcement agency and the rest, which is a small percentage, are law-abiding in all situations. How often we respect traffic signals if there is no traffic or a policeman in sight? We drive in the wrong direction in one-way streets at dead of night telling ourselves it is beyond <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:time Hour="23" Minute="0">11 p.m.</st1:time> <o:p></o:p>
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I have seen some buildings with their compound walls painted with the pictures of gods to discourage the public from committing nuisance, which is an expression commonly used to refer to people who consider any open space as public toilet. I am told that the results of such an experiment are excellent though there are a few hardcore law-breakers who remain unmoved by such methods. The presence of his Club’s logo in his car and workplace should be as much of a deterrent to breaking laws as that of gods’ pictures on compound walls to people who consider the whole open world as a public toilet! Whether or not there is a traffic cop around or there is total absence of any traffic, the sheer presence of the logo should dissuade him from breaking the law of the land, however minor the offence may be. <o:p></o:p>
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Total Comments 17
Comments
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Dear Cheeniya sir,
A very valued point.
.Quote:If the lights had gone off at that moment, we could have even seen a halo round his head
I liked this sentence very much. Often we see, people preach so many things but when it somes to personal issues they say "rules are meant to be broken". Even the so called NRI as soon as they touch the motherland, they spit, commit nuisance etc on the roadRantThere should be a conscious effort from each individual and men (no offences meant) are the worst in lacking civic sense.
We have a residential school in my neighbourhood. We just cannot walk past the building without closing our nostrils imagine the plight of the kids. The school suthorities decided to put tiles of gods on the compound walls but till date the same is still continuing!!!!!!!!!!Posted 17th March 2008 at 01:11 AM by Lalitha Shivaguru
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Dear Mr.Cheeniya
Dear cheeniya sir,
That was well said.This post of yours evokes so many thoughts in me.
Sometimes I wonder whether laws were made only for the poor so that petty thieves could be punished and dragged on the road,be pelted with stones by the angry mob,while greater thieves flourish and enjoy adulation and bigger rewards in public life.
As I am penning this to you,my dear Sir,my husband is sitting in the hall glued to the TV where supporters of various parties proclaim ,"We have got so many number of MPs with us" etc.It is an open secret that MPs are being sold and are willing to be sold.What moral right do we have to tell the youngsters ,to be honest and be conscientious and all.Murderers and convicts are happily and proudly presenting themselves,or I would rather say,preening themselves before the entire nation and our national leaders some of whom have impeccable records as honest politicians whose integru\ity is of the highest order can not do anything,they smile sheepishly.
I do not know if what I have written is in relevance to the pointed question you have raised,this issue was in my mind and you have given me an opportunity to share my thoughts with you.
Regards
mithila kannanPosted 21st July 2008 at 01:00 PM by mithila kannan
