Sincerely,
MG Stough
There has always been contention about what constitutes a criminal offense. As Society changes, so too does the set of definitions by which our world is defined. As these definitions are altered, so are our concepts of what is right and wrong. In general, though, there are a core set of definitions that every social group holds across time to be accurate and valuable.
It is from these core definition sets that we draw our Universal Definitions of Right And Wrong. It is from these Universal Definitions of Right And Wrong that we derive our Universal Laws. Having researched this subject for more than twenty years now, I have come to the conclusion that there are ten [10] Universal Laws that social groups will always exhibit as the infrastructure that ensures the society's survival and perpetuation.
The first Univeral Law is that there must always be a Higher Power from which All Laws have their source. This Higher Power may take the form of a manmade institution or it may take the form of a supernatural entity. In my case, I am a Christian, so I refer to GOD [Jehova/Jesus/Holy Spirit] as the Higher Power from whom all Laws to which I must adhere are Given to me. Having a central source of The Law makes it easier for a member of Society to know what behavior is expected of him/her. This also reduces the risk of individual's taking it upon themselves to rewrite the law as they see fit... a very dangerous condition, since what suits them may not be what suits the rest of Society.
The second Universal Law is that there can be only One Law Giver. The members of a Society must be Loyal to the Giver Of The Law. This particular Law encourages Social Cohesion. The bonding of the members of the Tribe through mutual respect and acknowledgement of the Authority and Power of the Law Giver to control their behavior allows a Society's members to live together in relative harmony. It is also through this Loyalty to the Law Giver that conformity to The Law is born. After all, what good does it do if a Law is Given but the people refuse to follow it? That sort of behavior weakens the social bonds and undermines the effectiveness of any future Laws that are Given. Without Loyalty to The Law Giver, Society will eventually crumble and disintegrate.
The third Universal Law establishes the concept of a binding contract. That is, when one person promises to carry out a certain action or to deliver a particular service or product, then that promise should be kept. Further, when one enters into such a contract and swears an oath that is based upon the Honor of the Law Giver, then the Law Giver ensures that said oath is carried out. Punishment for making the Law Giver look bad by breaking a contract is usually severe within social groups. Otherwise, the power and authority of the Law Giver might be eroded and the social group might begin to disintegrate.
The fourth Universal Law acts to establish a regulated work period which is folowed by a regulated rest period. This often takes the form of the work day and an off day. In the United States of America, we tend to recognize a five day work period and a two day rest period. However, there are quite a few professions that work six days and rest for one day. Although a facility or institution might be open seven days out of the week, the people who work there usually have at least one day off per week. This institutionalized rest period functions to improve the morale of the members of the social group, while at the same time allowing them to recouperate their physical and mental faculties so that they will continue to be productive members of the social unit.
The fifth Universal Law concerns Sanctify LIFE. This Law establishes the idea that LIFE is a precious treasure that must not be taken unjustly. In simple terms, the Fifth Law almost always states that Murder is prohibited. This Law makes perfect sense. If the members of a social group begin killing one another off without justification, then eventually the survivors will be forced to disolve their membership in the group, or else strive to be the singular member who is left living. Either way, if Murder is not prohibited, then no social group can increase beyond a very small size due to the natural heterogeneous condition of human thought and opinion. Sizeable groups of people either learn to live together without killing each other off when they disagree with one another, or else their social group is forced to disband or risk early demise. In the end, those social groups who do not prohibit murder seldome advance beyond primitive hunter-gatherer status.
The sixth Universal Law establishes the acceptable standard definition of Personal Territory. This definition centers around a Familial Relationship. Namely, Adultery is forbidden. Adultery is the violation of a Marriage Vow [contract before the Law Giver which Couples two or more members of the social group] by an outside party. This is the time worn concept of the interloper; one who actively enters another's territory without permission and procedes to vandalize the owner's territory in such a way that the territory is left defiled and devalued. Adultery carries the risks of 1.) altercations that may lead to murder; 2.) spread of disease which may lead to death or depopulation; 3.) confusion of the natural lineage of inheritance rights. These three forces stand as strong destructive forces that can easily topple a social group right to the ground.
The seventh Universal Law establishes the acceptable standard of Real Property. This refers to the physical items that are owned by a member of a social group. Human Beings naturally desire to collect and possess material things. They do not like to share these things. When forced to do so, these individuals become aggitated and even angry. Taking something that belongs to another, without permission from the rightful owner, often results in a verbal and/or physical altercation. This taking without permission has the potential of destroying social groups; the Owner is willing to kill to preserve his/her ownership of his/her material things of worth. In order to be successful. a Society must be productive. Productivity is impossible to maintain without profit to be gained and kept by the individual members of that social group. For these reasons, it is necessary for all societies to institute the seventh Universal Law: No Stealing.
The eighth Universal Law is a prohibition against unwholesome social conflict. In simple terms, it is wrong to harbor an unhealthy desire what another member of Society has, whether money, or family, or property, or looks, or any other aspect of the other person. This is called Coveting. Covetous thoughts lead to jealous and angry actions. This can lead to the violation of the first seven Universal Laws. It can also lead to the violation of the other two Universal Laws which follow the eighth; for this reason, most societies prohibit covetous behavior on the part of their members. Covetousness creates singular thoughts and singular lifestyles. No Society will stand for very long without the cooperative and friendly efforts of its members.
The ninth Universal Law is directly related to the third, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth Universal Law. The ninth Universal Law prohibits dishonest testimony. That is, members of social groups are strongly discouraged not to make false statements against their fellow members. Whether for personal gain or simply as a pass-time, dishonest statements about others causes contention. That contention can be magnified to the point that members of society might be wrongfully targeted for punishment, removal, or even death. Also, violent retalliation against the perpetrator of lies by the victim of those lies is a clear possibility. For this reason, Lying About Others is prohibited by the ninth Universal Law.
The tenth Universal Law encourges the concept of the Family Support Group. What this means is that parents must take care of and raise their children properly, while children must honor and obey their parents so that they can learn what is necessary for them to become successful adult members of the social group. By institutionalizing the Family Support Group, the tenth Universal Law ensures the survival and perpetuity of the Society for which it is adopted.
Having established the fact that almost every society contains a Universal Set Of Laws, we can now focus our attention on the violation of these Universal Laws. But first, let me make absolutely certain that you know what a law is. Read the following definition.
Notice the components of this definition for Law. A set of rules and regulations... What does that mean? Established... What does that mean? Ensuring survival and perpetuity... What is survival and how is it different from perpetuity? Maintenance... What does that mean? Standard... Expected Behavior... What exactly do these phrases mean?
One cannot hold an intelligent conversation about The Law and Crime without first gaining a true understanding of what the definition of the word Law really means. To do this, it is necessary for us to define each of these component phrases:
Now that we have properly analyzed the definition of The Law, we can carry on an intellectual discussion of the subject as it relates to the maintenance of social order. The Law defines the expectations and the goals of Society. For this cause, those who violate the Law must be punished. Otherwise, the Law ceases to function properly.
Those who violate The Law are called Criminals. This is because they are those who commit crimes. A Crime is any action or inaction that Society has defined as wrong and/or unacceptable and to which a penalty or punishment has been attatched. This is perhapse the most important definition for the Professional Crime Fighter to know. For this reason, it bears repeating:
Crime Fighters actively seek to stop crimes from being committed. When a crime is committed, the Crime Fighter reacts by investigating, apprehending, prosecuting, convicting, and then issuing the appropriate punishment and/or penalty to the perpetrator of the offense against Society. This is the the traditional role of the Crime Fighter:
Having said all of this, it is time to bring this lecture to a close. In so doing, let me take a moment to summarize what we have gone over here today. Crime Fighting is the active process of preventing and controlling behavior that Society has defined as wrong and/or unacceptable, by seeking out, identifying, apprehending, prosecuting, convicting, and punishing and/or penalizing those who engage in said Offenses Against Society. To be a successful Professional Crime Fighter, you must learn as much of the technical language and skills-related information as possible in this Field Of Study. This is where your career as a Professional Crime Fighter begins. Within the next several chaptered lectures, you will be exposed to the core concepts and skills requisites that are necessary for you to enter into the Field of Professional Crime Fighting.
Good Luck and GOD Bless!
Sincerely,
MG Stough