Writing Sample #1

[dlingard]

It is each citizen?s duty to obey the laws of a nation.

In a democratic nation, laws represent the foundation on which that nation is built. By the same token, the citizens of that nation have an obligation to obey and uphold the laws, thus preserving the fundamental freedoms and rights enjoyed by all members of a true democracy. For a simple example we may consider the chaos resulting from a temporary suspension of all traffic laws. Self-serving motorists would take advantage of their timid counterparts and the rate of accidents would skyrocket. The majority of laws are secured to protect a nation's citizens, thereby requiring citizens' obedience.

However, there are nations whose policy falls outside what is nominally considered a true democracy. The country of Afghanistan under Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001 was one such nation. The Taliban instituted legal reforms banning Afghan women from enjoying many of the simple pleasures of life. The rights of these women to receive minimal education and health care were vehemently repressed. The Irishman Daniel O'Connell once said that "nothing is politically right which is morally wrong". The Taliban's policies during this period certainly reflect O'Connell's words and represent where the citizens of Afghanistan should have fulfilled a moral obligation to protect the rights of women rather than upholding laws threatening to remove them altogether.

Certainly there are instances where there is a marked disconnect between morality and the law. Citizens of a nation must employ careful consideration when placed in a situation where the morality of any law is brought into question. That said, democratic nations are founded upon laws whose primary purpose serves to guarantee the rights of its citizens.