SOCIETY is in a moral crisis. And, what is worse, it seems to be deteriorating at an ever-increasing rate. That is the dilemma we face today.

Moral discernment is not one of the hallmarks of the modern age. Feeling no shame is a sickness of our time.

Nowhere is that lamentable shortcoming more evident than in the upper echelons of society; the nauseating details are sometimes spelt out in the media.

There are some today who are involved in some form of dishonest conduct and who feel neither embarrassment nor shame to be openly seen as such.

Making a mockery of an important issue is an abdication of responsibility to say the least; serious concerns and far reaching implications are the end results.

It would then be difficult to make any headway in whatever that is being conducted.

Lying, contradictions, cheating and ambiguity have torn to shreds the moral fabric of our society.

Lying is a gift that belongs to humans; animals do not possess it.

Someone once suggested that lies are a necessary and justifiable tool of the statesman’s trade.

People have been wronged, deeply hurt and suffered along the way. The only thing needed for evil to triumph is for the guilty party to deny the wrong they have done and then do nothing else.

Make restitution or face the consequences hereafter, that is, if you have a conscience and believe in the tenets of your faith.

Remember, people are not easily fooled by a myriad of well-rehearsed controlled answers these days.

NOEL F. D’OLIVEIRO,

Ipoh, Perak.

Source: The Star – January 30, 2008