A Red Light For Scofflaws Essay

While driving on the highway, a driver decides that he/she should speed, just to get to his/her destination faster, and the person feels like there is no harm done if he/she gets caught speeding, since it is not that big of deal, since it is not a violent or major crime, so what harm can be done? Frank Trippett, in the article, “A Red Light for Scofflaws”, suggests that more and more ordinary citizens are becoming scofflaws, people who break the law casually, because they feel like law and punishments only apply to violent crimes. Trippett explains his suggestion by stating that people seem to think that it is now foolish to obey the rules, and because of that, people decide to break certain laws such as littering or speeding. Trippett is writing in a formal tone, in order to try and prevent citizens who usually abide the law, to not join in with the millions of Americans who are becoming scofflaws more frequently. It is an important part of society and …show more content…
In some cases, the laws that many people do feel like they can break, such as speeding and littering, can be violent and can cause plenty of harm. To someone who might think speeding isn’t that big of a deal and isn’t a law that is not violent, the only issue with that, is that speeding can become lethal and someone and even the person driving could be seriously hurt or even killed, which makes it a violent crime when you consider the possibilities. Regardless of whether the person believes the crime is “minor”, the laws that are created are made for a reason and breaking any law, regardless of which one is broken, can have serious consequences, and that is why it is a law in the first place. No matter how someone interprets the laws, major or minor, it is crucial in our society that everyone follows the laws and does not skip over the ones they see as,