issue: "It is possible to pass laws that control or place limits on people's behavior, but legislation cannot reform human nature. Laws cannot change what is in people's hearts and minds."

My essay:

Laws are aimed at improving the welfare of a society or a country. Most laws are based on the moral code of conduct which is largely accepted by a society. But there are some gaps in any society, wherein a behaviour that may be considered good by one part of the society may be considered harmful by others. This is especially the case in secular countries or societies that are occupied by people from different ethnicities and religions. In such cases laws should be decided on the basis of the best interest of the coutry or society at large .

Having said that I definitely believe that laws do help in curtailing human behaviours that are condemened by the law but they can defnitely not change the mind of an individual. People would simply have to force themselves to abide by the law. Sometimes these can be detrimental especially in a dictorial governance where laws are implemented for selfish needs of an individual leader rather than for the larger good. For instance, in hitler's regime though the german soldiers had to abide by the law in arresting or killing the jews there have been many incidents reported where german soldiers have ignored their orders and protected the jews instead.This is a very good example which shows that hate cannot be fostered by law, hate can only come from the hearts of the people.

Another example would be the laws on drugs especially marijuana. Although many countries do not legally support the buying and selling of marijuana, it is still practiced in those countries. The law is simply overlooked. The same can be said for laws for subletting an apartment, even if it is cosidered legally wrong, people practice it name of favourism. Most of the times it is like leding a home to friend or relative . The human relationship is given more importance than the actual law.

In conclusion laws can force people to behave in a certain way by instillng a sense of fear but they can never change the hearts or personal interests of an individual.