legislating morality

Allen Raymond was convicted of breaking election laws. He wrote a book about it, and he is guest blogging at TPM Cafe.

He writes,

Morality is the domain of organized religion, cults and Bill O’Reilly (allegedly), but not government. So when my judge derided me by asking, “Where was his moral compass?” I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. It was like comparing apples to fire trucks in Coptic. That was also a moment when righteous indignation got on its bench-level soap box and decided to make the law about morality, sending me the clear signal I was doomed to find myself on the same side of the wall as the felons and convicts.

He is mistaken of course. I am stunned that such an intelligent person cannot make the simple connection between LAW and MORALITY. Every single law ever written, since the beginning of time, legislates morality. Even a speed-limit law is based on the belief that it is immoral to risk driving recklessly fast and put other motorists into life-threatening danger.

Raymond violated election laws by jamming Democratic phone lines on election day. That's such an obvious moral issue, that I am simply stunned that he cannot see it. That he still cannot see it. He understands that he broke the law. But he doesn't understand that what he did was immoral. That scares me. It scares me to think that there are other lawyers with advanced degrees who are like this.

And yes, I agree with him that we as a nation do not handle our felons very well. Yes, we need compassion. But his lack of ownership, his almost psychopathic inability to comprehend morality, his OWN INABILITY to be compassionate towards those he harmed, isn't making it any easier for me to empathize with him. What I hope he does is not simply play the victim, but change his life in ways that create the kind of positive change he talks about.