Oversimplified rules to stop violence

George Floyd Protest in Pittsburgh
Photo credit KDKA Radio

Somehow we have strayed.  A removal or shortcut here.  An ignoring or reworking there.  All of the sudden a nation that was built on laws is seemingly unraveling into lawlessness. 

Everyone is pointing fingers.  We collectively say that it is the fault of; bad cops, convicts, petty thieves, aggressive store managers, lawyers, inept politicians, the media, black youth, white youth, spoiled kids, idiotic adults, fracturing schools, lowered expectations, drugs, domestic terrorists, absentee parents, helicopter parents, resistors, anarchists, communists, socialists, conservatives, the list goes on. 

Listening to KDKA Radio on Saturday I heard one caller say the riots were simply a reelection effort in support of President Trump.  The unrest was part of a devious plan by Republicans to sow fear and secure a second term. 

I heard another caller say that ‘globalist banker’ George Soros was behind the riots.  Soros is a philanthropist, leftist-activist, and DC lobbyist who has reportedly set aside $32 billion of his fortune to finance a radical, anti-national sovereignty agenda through his Open Society Foundation. 

Regardless of who you blame: we have problems!

Those problems start at home. 

The US is a nation of incalculable laws.  Author and civil-liberties lawyer Harvey Silvergate became famous for writing a book titled ‘Three Felonies A Day.’  He claims that the average American unwittingly breaks three federal criminal laws before dinnertime.  That does not even take into account any violations or misdemeanors. 

In January of 2019, The ‘Saturday Evening  Post’ provided a list of 5 of the most commonly broken laws each day in America.  They are: 

  1. Jaywalking.  Use the crosswalk and obey the signal for once in your life, please!
  2. Copyright Violations. Are you guilty of illegally using a movie clip or downloading a tune?
  3. Gambling at Home.  It may only be a small pot poker game or gram’s bridge club but that does not make it legal. 
  4. Using your cellphone while driving.
  5. Smoking weed in many areas. 

There are thousands of others. Just ponder it all for a moment.  Estimates indicate there could be over 50,000 laws in America.  

A citizen cannot possibly memorize every single one of them.  So, allow me to suggest that we all reacquaint ourselves with the world’s 10 most basic.  Ten laws that we seem to have lost sight of since we tore them off the courthouse walls en route to a more secular, civil, and enlightened society. 

  1. I am the LORD your God. You shall worship and only serve the Lord your God.
  2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
  3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
  4. Honor your father and your mother.
  5. You shall not kill.
  6. You shall not commit adultery.
  7. You shall not steal.
  8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
  9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s spouse.
  10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

These rules seem pretty simple. So simple that, as a whole, we are drifting away from them.  Some among us reject the first three on philosophical grounds.  However, as I have told an atheist in the past: ‘Even if you think that you are your own god then you should agree with those ones, too.’  

Many of us have difficulty with that whole ‘covet’ part.  Lying or stealing are the downfalls of others.

Let’s at least try to work on them.  Aim high, folks. 

There are more Commandments.  The unofficial ‘11th’ given to us by Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry is considered by many as ‘the golden rule’ or ‘the greatest’ as it seemingly boils nearly every law, rule, and commandment down to one: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ - or simply - ‘Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself.’

If only everyone could or would at least try follow it - what a wonderful world this would be.

Thank you.  Have a great day.

Kevin 

Kevin Battle is Co-Host of the KDKA Radio Morning Show with Larry Richert.  The program airs M-F 5a-9a on Newsradio 1020 KDKA. 

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Featured Image Photo Credit: KDKA Radio