by Tammy Sandeen

Created on: January 28, 2010

Let’s look at just the United States, or better yet, just Detroit, Michigan. This city is a great example of the extreme spectrum of morals that our society has. If one city can contain such a varied moral base, imagine the scale of a country or the world. Also, are the morals now different from the past?

Detroit is a city full of crime. Kids cannot wait for their buses to school without worrying if they will be shot or beaten. Boyfriends hide their dead girlfriends in the trunks of their car for months. People hurting from lack of money, strip empty homes of their siding, plumbing, and wiring to sell as scrap. Moreover, even the mayor was removed after pleading guilty to criminal acts.

Yet, the city has churches on every other corner. People are creating beautiful community gardens on the empty lot. There are soup kitchens and gift baskets handed out because of volunteers. Homes are built for free for returning disabled veterans by hard working people that ask nothing in return. The schools needed volunteers to teach reading to the children and over 4,000 people signed up in under a month. There are good, moral people in a city that is known for its criminals.

Has morals gotten worse then in the past? There were riots in the 1960’s that everyone knows about, but also in 1943 and 1863. The city was formed around a fort that was placed here in the time of war.  However, on the same note there is a history of charity and faith. The churches were some of the first buildings and the most cared for. The St. Vincent Society is a charity that has been around a long time.

History has lots of violence and lots of good and today’s world is also a mixed bag. It seems like morals may not be less but different. There is open sexual content that was once kept behind closed doors. Still, it was there, did exist, and wasn’t always nice. Race wars go far back into history but it is what race fighting what race that has changed. And now there is more race tolerance but less tolerance for differences.

Less people are Christians but the other faiths are gaining. People are becoming far more Earth based. Most faiths are teaching love and lack of harm. The world is becoming a village that raises one another.  Countries race to help each other when natural disasters strike. People care and want to help.

Morals may be harder to find but they are there. They may have changed a bit, but in some ways, they are better. It is still important to people to help, to live in a good place, and to share with others.

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