File that under "asinine"

"People are going to do it anyways; why bother making it illegal?"

"It's impossible to enforce."

"Laws can't make people act right."

This line of reasoning concerning the legislation of morality is as common as a Republican in Texas. But that doesn't make it true. From abortion to discrimination to grand theft auto, government legislates morality all the time. The latest example concerns illegal music downloads, and the results should be no surprise to folks who realize the effectiveness of laws to deter or encourage behavior.

The Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reported July 21 that online music piracy may have plateaued, while legal online music sales has tripled in the U.S. and across the pond in Europe--57 million legal downloads to 180 million in the first halves of 2004 and 2005, respectively. WORLD speculates that,

"The new numbers appear, at least in part, to be a textbook example of the biblical doctrine of common grace, with the shaming and prosecuting of wrongdoers prompting changes in societal behavior."

The music industry's two-tiered approach--a loud public proclamation by artists and record companies that online piracy is wrong, and literally thousands of lawsuits against downloaders--has paid off, apparently.

Wait! Does this mean that PSAs and law enforcement actually changed peoples' attitudes and behaviors??? But I thought morality couldn't be enforced, and that "people are going to do it anyway."

Guess we can file that argument under "asinine."