San Diego city ordinance restricting food and water distribution to homeless populations

Morality number of experts have stated that they are worried about the seeming lack of morality in America, and the dire consequences such a paucity of morality means to the American society.

One expert stated; "Clinical evidence is offered to argue that every society since the beginning of time - including prison populations - have a strong code of morality - emphasizing proper behavior. This morality has not prevented any society from cruelty by its members towards strangers and fellow citizens alike." (Goldberg 2002-page 266)

Such is the state of affairs when the city of San Diego legislated the legality of providing food and drink to individuals down on their luck, homeless and living on San Diego streets. One individual who did so was cited for breaking the law.

This citation can be the harbinger of many questions to be asked, including; Can morality be legislated? Can the lack of morality and ethical or moral behavior be regulated by a government agency? These are interesting questions that call for society's introspection.

Moral agency has dual aspects manifested in both the power to refrain from behaving inhumanely and the proactive power to behave humanely. Moral agency is embedded in a broader socio-cognitive self-theory encompassing affective self-regulatory mechanisms rooted in personal standards linked to self-sanctions. Moral functioning is thus governed by self-reactive selfhood rather than by dispassionate abstract reasoning." (Bandura 2002-page 101).

If what Bandura states is a true statement, then humans have the power to decide for themselves what type of personal standards they will live by, however, they are duly influenced by society and how government regulates that society. Many of these individualists will do anything the government allows, even if it is not morally acceptable or ethical. It seems as if society is likely losing its sensibilities and is being led by a nose-ring further and further down an ever more spiraling chute to hell. No longer do many individuals do what is morally correct, instead they choose to do, as society allows them to, whatever makes them feel good personally. This is leads to a state of affairs that allows for a debate on whether someone who does act ethically should be fined for doing so.