I appreciated the concerns David Butler expressed in his April 30 opinion piece, “When Rules Become Optional,” that private selective acts of rule-breaking are not civil disobedience. He outlined several of the justifications that exist in people’s minds, but he missed one major factor — the behavior of our elected officials and business leaders. Seeing them flout established rules and customs for personal financial benefit undermines belief in a shared commitment to fair play and leads the rule-obeying individual to feel like a freier (Hebrew slang for a person who plays by the rules when everyone else isn’t — and loses because of it). Without those on top desisting from treating rules as optional, it will be hard to convince the rest of the community to do so.
Rabbi Melanie Aron, Washington, D.C.
