Kamaria Buchanan

October 23, 2015

Sixth Hour
Assignment Two
Law and Order
We, as a society, have decided on a set of behaviors we determined as normal. Social
norms are set up in every institution; from marriage to religion to education. The good thing
about these norms is that, if you were raised in that particular society, you probably will not even
have to think about them, you already know how you are expected to behave. As long as no one
deviates from what is expected, society continues on smoothly. Those who differ, however, from
this set of standards are often prosecuted. Not by a jury and judge, but by the judgmental stares
and snide, underhanded comments made by those nearby.
As mentioned before, there is a set of expectations in most anyplace you go. The WalMart I chose to use for observations is no exception to this. I will be the first to admit that I had a
certain perception of what goes on at these stores based on the crazy things I have seen on the
internet. Weve all heard of or seen pictures of what are called Wal-Mart people; people in illfitting clothes, looking sloppy and starting fights. As a Target shopper, these are things Ive never
personally seen, but I was weary as I walked into the store on my first day of observations. But,
to my surprise, things were rather quiet; no parking lot brawls, not even a screaming match over
the last bag of frozen chicken nuggets. Where was all the action? It turns out that those who
regularly shop there have set a standard for themselves. From what I observed, the rules are: no
shouting, treat employees with respect, give common courtesy to others, and most importantly,
keep your children under control and out of the way.
If there is anything I know in my limited experience with small children, its that they
have little to no shame and arent concerned in the slightest with our social norms. I saw an

instance of this when a little boy was told he couldnt have a new toy. He took the toy to his
mother and asked if he could have it. When she told him no the first time, he tried pleading. After
that failed he relied on his, probably two-year-old, reasoning skills, making points like: I dont
have one in this color, and But I want it. After she told him no for the fourth time, sounding
low on patience, he used the last weapon in his arsenal, a temper tantrum. He fell on the floor
crying, or at least screaming, with all his might. His mother quickly gathered what was left of his
good sense and he straightened his face, quieted himself, and placed the toy back on the shelf.
But, not before the judgment was passed. Those in the aisle either flat out stared or pointedly,
looked away. The people who were passing by hesitated as if they wanted to go down that aisle
and changed their mind when they saw the commotion.
From this incident, I clearly saw how judgment was passed on the mother and her child.
If this were an actual trial, heres how it wouldve gone down. The jurors, in this case, are the
shoppers, the defendants are the mother and son, and the plaintiffs are everyone whose shopping
experience was disrupted. This a bit of a long-winded metaphor, but Ive seen a lot of law and
order so you can trust me. I know what Im talking about. The courtroom is full, the judge walks
in and everyone rises in respect. The lawyers give their opening statements and the defendants
call their first witness, the little boy himself. *Gasp* the case has already taken a shocking turn.
So, the defending lawyer begins, Young man, please tell the jury how old you are. Im
two, he responds. And being a two-year-old, were you aware that there were unspoken rules
you were expected to follow that day in Wal-Mart? the lawyer asks. The little boy looks
confused, I didnt know there were rules, he mumbles into the microphone. The lawyer looks
at the jury and takes a pause before continuing, He didnt know. Ladies and gentlemen of the
jury, this two-year-old, this two-year-old child is standing on trial for a crime that he wasnt even

aware existed. Look at this boy and tell me you believe hes guilty. Look at him! Look him in the
eye and tell him you see guilt anywhere on his innocent face. The defense rests your honor.
Now, the prosecuting lawyer stands for his turn at questioning. The jury is already riled up so he
has to proceed carefully. Young man, if that is even your real name, you claim that you didnt
know there were rules in this store, but please tell the jury when it is ever appropriate to have a
temper tantrum. The boy looks towards the jury, When I want something and Mommy says no,
I get mad cause I really want it. The lawyer nods, continuing, So when you dont get your
way, you throw a tantrum. Is that correct? Umm, I guess, he stammers. Then you know that
its wrong, correct? the lawyer presses on, You knew it was wrong and yet you did it anyway.
Ladies and gentlemen, how many times has your shopping experience been interrupted by a
child who simply wanted a toy? How long are we, as patrons of a store going to stand for this
injustice? He claims he didnt know there were rules, yet he just said that he knew tantrums were
wrong. So which is it? I, for one, refuse to sit back and watch while these toddlers take over.
Today, its Wal-Mart, tomorrow its the White House or the Senate and next thing we know,
theyre firing off nukes because they were refused a Juicy-juice. Where does it end? The
prosecution rests, your honor Were going to fast-forward to the jurys decision. The judge asks,
Jury, how do you find? We find the defendant guilty, your honor, the speaker says, giving a
hard look to the child. Cue the dramatic music and the loud sobs of the mother who is now the
parent of a two-year-old convicted felon.
Of course, it would never come down to this. I mean, whos going to take a toddler all the
way to court, right? But whether or not were in a courtroom or in a store aisle, we pass
judgment on each other every day. Every single day, we find someone guilty of disrupting our
peace, being a bad mother, or simply doing something we dont approve of. Anyone sensible

knows that a two-year-old is sometimes going to throw a fit. It happens. But how would this
situation change if instead of judging these people as guilty, we tried to be a little understanding
first? How much better could this society be if we tried showing a little compassion? I am
challenging all of us to stop playing judge and jury and start showing kindness towards each
other. I observed a lot that day at Wal-Mart, but the most important thing I saw was a need for
change and a need for growth in our society.