I just read "Britons get jail sentence for having sex on a public beach." It sounds like too harsh a punishment, on the face of it. But is it, really? Let's briefly look at the details that have been published about the story in the past few months. They got drunk, started making out on the beach, were warned to stop that behavior by a police officer twice, and then proceeded to have sex on the beach, anyway.
There are laws against that behavior in that country. These Britons don't have to agree with those laws, but they were "guests" in that country and "had" to play by their rules.
Oh, I know, I know. "Individual freedom, freedom of expression, how can they dictate behavior, why can't they bring themselves to the 21st century, what's wrong with two consenting adults having sex,..." and more such thinking... We've all heard it all before.
I may not agree with all the laws of Dubai (well, the ones I've heard and read about, anyway), they are *their* laws, and as such every visitor has to obey them. Furthermore, putting Dubai laws aside for a moment, why do these Britons think that a public beach is O.K. to have sex on? Why would that be O.K., even in a place different than Dubai, let's say in the U.K.? It shouldn't be! And, being drunk is NOT an excuse. If anything, it should increase the sentence they got as one more violation of their laws.
Now look, I may sound harsh and inflexible, but I am getting tired of always making excuses for people's bad behavior, not allowing them (or forcing them) to take responsibility for their action, and always having to be "understanding". Understanding, yes, how does all that babying and understanding help people realize when they have made a mistake and make them want not to make the same mistake again? It doesn't. If anything, it makes them feel that whatever bad behavior we are condoning, is O.K., which simply propagates the problem.
Let's tale a step back, lets make some simple rules, or better yet, let's just use common sense and apply rules and laws we already have. Let's respect other people's laws and generally accepted rules of behavior, when we are in their home/country. And above all, Let's respect ourselves, because if we don't, nobody will respect us.
