Should good citizens have "credit" for their deeds.?

Question

If you are caught commiting an offence (typically traffic) there is little regard to you having been a good citizen and you are liable without meaningful appeal for the instant fine.

Good people everywhere treated as good and as bad as everybody else, whether or not they are of equal good standing.

Voluntary workers undertaking social needs etc

Is that justice or just "revenue" extraction without legal process?

Answer 1

Let me draw you a few examples in our town:

We had in the city alone, two members of City Council who got entrapped for embezzlement and extortion but other than that they were upright citizens.  BTW,  they are both serving prison terms out of state!

Then on our county Board of Supv.s  we had a male member who was a local School teacher during his regular job, allowed his school age children at class to put their hands on his back and "massage"  his shoulders.  A big NONO!  

Then sometime later, about 2 years, he was indicted on charges of sexual object penetration of his step-daughter and copped a plea bargain so he wouldn't have to go to prison.  His life as a teacher ended and he was fired without benefits.  He still tries to plead innocent!  His step-daughter sued him and her mother for slander and they publicly apologized to the child and her lawyer.  

My preacher at my church when I was about 14 years old went on a vacation with his family for 2 weeks, the Deacons needed to get into his desk, and when they did, (this was back in 1969 mind you)  guess what they found!  Yep - several Playboy mags.  When he came back, he was quietly dismissed and never hired as a preacher again!  

There have been numerous people here in this state alone who either did volunteer work or were hired to manage finances for several athletic organizations or other firms and they were charged and indicted with embezzling the funds to their own needs and paying off various private accounts or buying their kids education, etc.  

Now, do you want me to espound on the virtues of the Bible and "do the good deed, go to Heaven cos God's watching and judging and if you get caught stealing, go to jail, find God and repent and turn yourself around" or would you rather me preach about "live a good and honorable life within your means, volunteer when and how you can, give as how you can and keep your nose clean." ???   Now you tell me which sounds better and makes more sense!

Answer 2

I'd agree with you to some extent but "good" is subjective sometimes.

Are you saying that if someone volunteers then they should have more leniency in the law?

If so you are not thinking about the time restrictions some people have and just aren't able to volunteer.. does that make them "bad"?

Also, if someone does not volunteer or go to church does that make them "bad"?

The law is supposed to be about looking at a person as equal to everyone else... what you are purposing creates some inequities in society.