Deviance is funny. Deviant does not define law, nor does it define moral. Deviance is mere societal agreement, though more often than not, with stigmas of morals and law. For example, 20 years ago, a person would be condemned severely for an accepting stance on homosexuality. Today, a conservative suffers backlash for believing marriage is for heterosexual couples. Anyone taking such a stance will suffer accusations such as homophobic, hater, and intolerant. I know for very personal experience. Society will always be influenced, by someone, and something, and the illustrious dollar. Half of society is crazy. The other half is getting divorced, spending more on credit than they earn, and making excuses for their corrupt lives of bliss and material. Me? I am in with the first half; refuse to be part of the second, and ready to make everyone uncomfortable along the way. So let me explain something.
I‘ll introduce Mister Joe. His first encounter with the law was well earned. At 1:00 a.m., 2006 or so, joe and his friends, headed out of town on a “joy ride” to smoke. It was this hilly gravel road, five-ten minutes out of town, with very rare through traffic (meaning the dark would reveal any traffic). As it was hilly enough, to feel like driving off the road “rollercoaster” fashion. we liked to call it “Seven Hills”. In a three mile stretch there are two stops signs, and each intersection had the potential (you had to be going at least 30 m.hp.to catch ). Joe was telling me “We were smarter than to bust an axel to continue that fast, but yes. Our brakes went out, and we hurdled through the country intersection, catching plenty of air.” In the pitch dark, and the middle of nowhere, red and blues went off.
The county officer took their licenses and said he would be right back. As a second patrol responded, they were sure there was going to be a canine drug unit involved. They quickly decided the next best course of action would be to start consuming any remaining evidence. Their buzz would last for four hours. Some would say luck was part of the night. All said and done, they were eventually released to head home with only a charge of failing to stop at stop sign.
Very naively, Joe did not fully realize how many people lead very boring lives, sitting around doing nothing, listening to police scanners. As Joe came from a large family, with an even larger grapevine, he heard about it from his dad in the morning. He asked how his night went. Joe shrugged it off saying “Nothing special. I’ve had better.” That would be the last of that conversation for Joe and His father. I would say his behavior was very “deviant”. At the same time, he was not affected yet by the stigma of his actions.
A few years later, Joe concluded that he is not entirely the greatest history student. He learned a vital lesson that the past has tendency to repeat its self, in the face of unchanged behavior. He has been convicted of numerous misdemeanor crimes..
So, he was never labeled deviant before his first arrest. Maybe shifty. Anyways, Joe could count the times he had driven buzzed and drunk on both hands. Caught but two times. Yet the contrary, I have meet men, who had been drinking and driving for 20-30 years without consequence, owning and maintaining professional business. They’ve lost more than I’ve ever owned, all over night, and maybe never learned of consequences.. Deviance can be no respecter of social class. At best, these fellow deviants learned slogans such as “my drinking was only going one place. Jails death or some institution” and “take it one day at time” or “one is too many and a thousand is never enough.”
There is also another side to this story though. Joe has a very public record of which he doesn’t mind entirely. His criminal record will not always be defining. As Joe has natural penchant for writing, and I find find him to be influential, I have taken to Joe’s cause. Joe reminded me that names are easily alterable, and pen names have always had its part in society. Privacy or lack thereof, is good test of morality for a society. When it is not granted, it is easily taken for granted.
In addition, many might argue that a different approach is needed, from a medical perspective. Medicine has made strides in aiding one facet of deviance. Drug and alcohol dependency. Many substances are not synthesized, and then banned. In the meantime, chemicals invented by chemists are sold by drug dealers often disguised as doctors. Vicodine and amphetamines are very dangerous chemicals prescribed to millions annually.
As for me, I find a spiritual approach, in most any form, to be very effective, in changing behavior. Believing that, living a life of gratitude, altruism, and faith (in anything, something, but never neglect some faith, no matter how the significance) because you have no idea how paranoid you will be, knowing you’re brakes might go out or that your great, great grandfather changed his last name.
I believe actors are but pawns of society. Their sole claim to fame, popularity is hardly earned, given as society sees fit. In this way, the fittest survive, breeding inequalities. As I remember, from a scene of “Two and a Half Men”, Charlie Sheen and nephew Jake attend “Klucky’s”. It is a fast, fried chicken restaurant also well known for its “purple drink”. The whole of the population eating in the restaurant were black people. I was rather taken back to see such blaring stereotypes. As media is corporately influenced, I have to believe that media is the forum of the rich. This illustration describes just how destructive public policy can be.
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