Want to know how to avoid police brutality? Cooperate with a police officer.

Want to know how to avoid being separated from your children when you’re in the country illegally? Don’t be in the country illegally.

Trying to stay out of jail? Don’t break laws.

Want to keep your right to vote? Avoid committing felonies.

Don’t want to deal with road rage? Perhaps stop giving people the finger.

Want to find a safe place to inject heroin? Don’t inject heroin. It’s the only safe way to deal with heroin.

Don’t want to have to choose between an abortion and keeping the baby? Don’t have premarital or unprotected sex.

The list goes on…

Somehow, we’re at a point in society where when something bad happens, we immediately side with the victim without asking what the victim did to find themselves in that position. Rodney King was about to be pulled over for speeding when he decided to try and outrun the officers. He was scared he would be busted for driving under the influence, which would violate his parole after a robbery conviction. The beating he took would never have happened if he would have pulled over (or not committed robbery, if you want to go back that far).

Ironically, if you say these things to some people, their first sentence usually starts with, “But some people can’t…” and goes on with an excuse. But every one of the above works every time they’re tried.

Sure, people will stray, take chances, and make mistakes. That’s because people are prone to temptation, desires, and emotional behavior. We’re not perfect. We’re not angels.

But people need to hear the benchmarks. People need to understand the expectations so they know where they stand against them. It’s the only way people can make corrections and improve. Societal expectations are the only way to set goals for ourselves.