Rules keep people in line. They are necessary to ensure the safety of all parties involved. And laws aim to do exactly that, many laws have been enacted to secure distinct sections of the population. A world without laws would be chaotic, but what if the regulations were far stricter, would that make a peaceful world?
Mentally, humans can take so much before cracking under pressure. Stricter laws may make citizens fearful, even if they have no intention of committing a crime. Of fact, fear and mild stress may be beneficial, as intimidation is important in keeping individuals away from crime. Going too far with the regulations, on the other hand, might foster an anxious atmosphere. A person who is aware of the harsh repercussions and punishments of a crime will not dare to commit it, but if one person in a circle does, others will be less hesitant to do so as well. James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling created the broken windows theory which is a criminological theory that claims apparent indicators of crime, anti-social behavior, and civil disturbance contribute to an urban environment that invites more crime and disorder, including serious crimes. Theoretically, this means if a broken window remains unfixed it will affect its environment and lead to more destruction. To put it simply, if a person sees trash left on the floor by someone else they are more inclined to toss their trash there themselves as well. With harsher rules, there is a greater likelihood that the window will be broken, increasing the risk of criminal activity near it.
Furthermore, when actions that aren’t genuinely harmful are made illegal, the consequences are certain to be severe. Take abortions, for example. The Roe v. Wade decision of the United States Supreme Court in 1973 legalized abortion nationwide, but due to their beliefs, groups of conservatives continue to oppose it, claiming that women’s right to abortion should be revoked. Abortion is chosen by women for a number of reasons, including sexual assault, birth defects, and socioeconomic factors. Suppose abortions are made illegal; people would still get abortions, but in dangerous environments and using techniques that could potentially harm them. Same thing goes for the usage of drugs, according to Aspenridge Recovery Center the best option is to reach out to young people and provide them with good, evidence-based drug education before they dangerously begin to experimenting with drugs. Making harsher regulations and criminalizing activities like these, rather than teaching young people and even adults, is the less favorable path to go. Another case of this is gun safety.
In conclusion, strict laws would only cause more harm and disorder. ‘Criminals’ would only be compelled to discover more ingenious methods to breach the law, which might endanger them and others they associate with. When people’s capacities are limited, they want to disobey the rules and rebel against authority; adopting harsher regulations would not actually promote peace and harmony; instead, taking away their most basic rights would lure them even more into it. Peace can only be reached when preexisting laws are adequately enforced and problems that contribute to individuals committing crimes are studied.