The necessity of laws is minimal in an ideal society comprised only of virtuous individuals who always attempt to behave morally. As evidenced in the "Obscene" episode of Law and Order, the behavior of individuals in society is rarely so strictly associated with the ideal moral standard. The episode used the events that unfolded, from the rape of Jessie to the shooting of BJ, to exemplify the complexity of character that makes absolutes in the law and morality nearly impossible to create and justify.
The initial complexity that generates a sense of confusion within the viewer is the discovery of Jessie's marriage to her middle-aged director. Morally, the marriage of a 16 year old to a 40 year old in today's society is borderline obscene within itself. Yet this is juxtaposed with the tenderness and love that is evident in their relationship, both through the director's evident concern for his wife and the dedication that Jessie shows to her husband. Their marriage is explained as a "a piece of paper that allows me to have sex with my husband." Yet this creates a contradiction within Plato's statement, "Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." This couple, while morally conflicting between their dedication and their age difference, could be considered "Good People," yet they are forced to circumvent the law protecting minors from sexual contact with older individuals by getting married. Yet this marriage seems to have truly stemmed from law. Thus these two fall in line with the idea that "A strict observance of the written laws is doubtless one of the highest virtues of a good citizen," which would define this couple as "good citizens" due to their careful observance of the law.
Another conflict is then created with this definition of a "good citizen." Ms. Spencer is presented as the most "morally correct" individual in the episode. Her dedication is protecting youth in America through protests of the BJ show and Jessie's television show would likely be universally praised by moralists. Ms. Spencer would likely agree that "Good people do not need laws..." due to the way that she views her actions. Yet from the perspective of her son and BJ, Ms. Spencer is a vicious censor, dedicated to curbing the free will of other people to be more in line with her moral views. BJ would argue that her support of censorship is irresponsible, due to the potentially disastrous effects that increased government censor controls could have on individual liberty. Yet BJ, the scapegoat and most clearly defined "bad person," for his rants and insensitive remarks that ultimately resulted in the rape of a 16 year old, operates well within the law. The conflict that arises between Ms. Spencer and BJ directly illustrates why the law is necessary to protect the common good of all people.
Through the events of the episode, it is clear that a strict observance of the law is not the highest virtue of a good citizen. The words of BJ can encourage, but not cause, the rape of a 16 year old, the destruction of a family, and personal injury to himself through the anger inspired in others. Personal loss cannot justify the actions of Ms. Spencer to attempt to kill a man who operates well within his rights as a citizen of the United States, nor can the claimed desire to protect others allow the premature murder of a "shock jock." The acquisition of a piece of paper did not change the relationship between Jessie and her husband, and therefore highlights the Plato's statement that "Good people do not need... around the laws." Through the lens of the episode, it is clear that there are very few purely good or bad individuals, and the law can have a poor time differentiating between the two. Therefore I would conclude that Plato's statement that "Good people... around the laws" is the most applicable to the "Obscene" episode of Law and Order with the supposition that this should apply more to good "actions" due to the complex and ephemeral nature of any single individual.
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