Comment on By letting the capitalistic class write the laws we let them dictate the morality of the country.
deikoepfiges_dreirad@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
Of course it’s a social construct, just like everything else that matters is. If you don’t want your live to be determined by social constructs, you would have to live alone in the woods.
Things that are social constructs can be modified with the social contract and should be modified to suit the will of the governed.
Social constructs that operate without the approval of the membership seem to be bad constructs that should probably not be built that way.
It’s really the exception for any aspect of reality to be operating with the approval of everyone affected. Things being socially constructed doesn’t mean they are less real, or that they are somehow easier to change. After all, “convincing people that they should think differently about some social construct” is just a clumsy definition of politics.
Ookami38@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
I think the broader point is that, if crime is a social construct, it’s not natural and unchanging, we can redefine what crime is.
foofy@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Did anyone think we couldn’t? We regularly elect people to do that job.
Ookami38@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Yeah, actually. A lot of people have a “well, what can you do” attitude about our lots in life.
Jtotheb@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Yes, and it’s silly to act like you don’t know of people who care a lot about following the law, thank cops for protecting us, look down on migrants for not doing it the right way, condemn people who steal to make ends meet because theft is a crime, yet don’t care much about the policies that leave our fellow humans on the street to fend for themselves that are immoral, but not criminal.
deikoepfiges_dreirad@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
That’s still not a point at all, just like saying “maybe political change would be good”. Like, of course there are incidents where common sense morality and legal practice don’t match, that’s where lawmakers should step in and change something.
Ookami38@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Yes, and the point of this is to remind people that’s an option. A lot of people get stuck in “life is how it is” and change seems impossible. It’s important to be reminded sometimes that it’s not.