Sherman 1
The Unwritten Laws
Driving to school, my Dad and I notice the light turn directly from green to red.
Reluctantly, my Dad stopped the car. As our car skid to a halt, I saw out of the corner of my eye, a maroon mini-van traveling at an unusually fast speed into a red light. The mini-van sped through the stoplight in the lane next to us. With a frustrated look on his face, my dad shook the steering wheel. In a chaotic rage, my dad turned to me and spoke at me about an unwritten code that all citizens should abide by. This code was fueled by honor and self respect. This code of conduct is called ethics. As the wise Aristotle said, "We should behave to others as we wish others to behave to us." My Dad stopped at that stop light because he knew that it was the right thing to do. It is the thing that he wishes others would do.
According to the Josephson Institute, there are six pillars of an ethical person; the first pillar is trustworthiness. This essential quality of an ethical person speaks for itself. Trust instilled in one another is a quality that one demands and expects from their peers. In this unwritten code, society cannot function without trust. Trust and Respect go hand in hand. One that respects his peers feels inclined to believe what they are claiming. This honor allows civilized citizens to cooperate and coordinate efficiently. Ethical citizens are able to trust one another because of another pillar of ethics. An ethical citizen cares about the well-being of one another. Ethical people tend to use a proactive decision making strategy before acting on something. They assess the situation, analyze the consequences, and then decide whether or not to execute the act. When the man in the car next to me and my Dad ran the stoplight, he was being unfair and in turn, unethical. Fairness is openly treating one another equitably. Being a fair person is having a socialistic attitude and not taking advantage of others. However, these laws are unwritten. There are no consequences. What motivates someone to be ethical? A person’s own responsibility consciously tells them to do the right thing. It tells them to courteously hold

Sherman 2 the door for a lady, or to assist an elderly man or woman in need of lifting something heavy.
Their responsibility drives them to be ethical.
An ethical future begins with educating the present. "You're born with intelligence, but not with ethics" (Massad Ayoob). Children need somebody that has structure in their life to teach them the ethical code. Positive parents serving as role models can give a child a very uplifting, charismatic attitude towards life. This contentment leads to a morally right, ethical person. Our future, however, does not have enough necessary role models to produce good citizens. In a family friendly environment, a child gains exposure to experiences much like the one I had with my Dad at the stoplight. These experiences allow children to notice that they need to look out for each other. When given opportunities to notice an ethical society, a child walks a mile in someone else’s moccasins. The meaning of ethics is not an easy concept to grasp. With optimistic and constructive teachings, the future can understand and apply the ethical code to their everyday lives.