Causes, Effects and Solutions
Anyone who has read my blog over the years knows I believe that the moral values of Americans are in decline. This is an important issue to discuss, especially in light of the debate between former President Trump and President Joe Biden tomorrow night. Should we care about the perceived moral values of each candidate? I believe so since the next president will be the leader of our country and, indeed, the free world. Shouldn’t we care whether they are good or bad? Whether they do the right or wrong thing?
It’s easy to say that moral values are in decline. All one has to do is point to the senseless violence in society, mass murders, racism, sexism, and many other “isms.”
Signs of Moral Decay
For me, one sign of moral decay is the so-called “smash and grab” incidents, a kind of burglary or looting where perpetrators smash a barrier, such as a display window in a shop or a showcase, grabbing valuables, and then making a quick getaway, without concern for setting off alarms or creating noise. It’s a crime of opportunity, often executed in minutes, leaving a trail of destruction and despair. Imagine if you owned the shop, or your mom or dad did. They have worked all their lives to open such a store; are successful; and now it’s all in jeopardy, not because of anything they did or didn’t do.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports that theft resulted in $121.6 billion in losses in 2023 for U.S. retailers—up from $112.1 billion in 2022. California alone lost $8.720 billion, the highest in the country.
Here is a list of all stores that have closed across California due to crime between summer 2022 and spring 2024.
- 7-Eleven: In July 2022, the company advised several of its California locations in the Los Angeles area to change their operating hours to increase customer safety amidst a rash of crime.
- Whole Foods: In May 2023, the supermarket chain announced the closure of its "flagship" branch in downtown San Francisco, which it had opened only 13 months before in March 2022.
- Nordstrom: In the same month, Nordstrom announced the closure of both of its stores in downtown San Francisco, blaming the changing dynamics in the city market over the past few years.
- Target: In September 2023, Target announced the closure of several of its stores in California—including in Oakland and San Francisco—over concerns of a rise in retail theft.
- Starbucks and Subway: In November 2023, two Starbucks stores and a Subway restaurant located on Hegenberger Road and 98th Avenue in Oakland closed their doors due to car break-ins targeting their customers.
- Denny's: In January 2024, a Denny's, which had been on Hegenberger Road in Oakland for 54 years, closed after being hit by a series of crimes.
- In-N-Out Burger: In the same month, In-N-Out Burger announced its only Oakland store was shutting its doors, citing threat to the safety of its employees and its customers.
- Macy's: In February 2024, Macy's announced the closure of one its most iconic locations, the store in Union Square, San Francisco, due to a rise in shoplifting.
- Taco Bell: In March 2024, the company announced it has suspended indoor dining in four of its restaurants in Oakland and limited it in a fifth store to customers making contactless payments.
To prevent theft, many big retail and pharmaceutical chains now lock up all kinds of merchandise, not just pharmaceutical products. It can go to an extreme. A San Francisco Target recently placed men’s t-shirts, underwear and socks behind protective cabinets to supplement its security measures, according to NBC Bay Area. A Richmond, California Walmart has also restricted access to undergarments, claiming some items are “subject to additional security.”
Ethical shortcomings
There have been moral lapses in virtually every segment of society. We’ve learned about disgraced politicians such as Geoge Santos (R-NY) and Bob Menendez (D-NY). We all know about the sexual exploits/harassment of Harvey Weinstein and others. Then there are those in sports who get arrested for sexual assault or other things, even betting on sports now what with the gaming industry in high gear.
There are numerous and sometimes outrageous frauds in government. In October 2023, the head of a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud ring and six of his co-conspirators were sentenced for fraudulently obtaining more than $20 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
There have been many frauds in the business world. Just this decade, in the early 2000s, we witnessed a massive fraud perpetrated by Barnie Madoff and his Ponzi scheme. Then, there were the Enron’s and WorldCom’s, companies that played fast and loose with revenue recording and reporting bogus earnings. More recently, the fraud at Wells Fargo shocked our collective conscience. Employees at the bank open unwanted accounts for customers, sold products not asked for, made bogus charges and so on.
Some may say these kinds of things have gone on for a long time and they are just being reported more now, what with social media and cable news. That may be true, but it doesn’t mean we should condone them or dismiss them as a sign of the times. Mark Twain said: “you’re never wrong for doing the right thing.”
Gallup Poll 2023
Another way to look at the moral values issue is to solicit the opinions of others. A Gallup Poll released in 2023 found that: 
- 54% say the state of moral values in U.S. is poor; 33% only fair; 10% good; and 1% excellent.
- 83% think U.S. moral values are getting worse.
- 74% of Republicans say moral values are poor; and 97% think they are worsening.
- 73% of Democrats and 80% of independents think they are getting worse.
It is interesting that the results seem relatively close for Republicans and Democrats. In other words, this is not a political issue. It’s a non-partisan issue.
It is worth noting that the most common response concerning a lack of moral values is consideration of others (18%), more than any other issue. Beyond that, racism, lack of faith/religion, lack of morals, sense of entitlement and lack of family structure are mentioned.
Not everyone believes these findings and the conclusions drawn. “Just because people believe it doesn’t make it so, according to psychologist Adam M. Mastroianni, Ph.D., who says that the decline is an illusion.
A Different View
Mastroianni explains a phenomenon as to why there is the perception of a decline in morality. It is the biased exposure effect, which holds that humans pay more attention to negative information than to positive information, and the media reinforces that tendency by focusing on bad news.
I find this to be true. The public seems more interested in the negative events in society rather than the good things that happen every day—or at least the media prefers to report on the bad stuff. What we need is to report more good news, positive things that happen in society, and acts of bravery. Cable news outlets should commit to having a “good news” segment for at least some of their shows every day.
I’m worried about the next generation. I believe the divisiveness and problems in society have negatively affected the views of millennials and Gen Z. They have witnessed all the things mentioned in my blog growing up. It’s no wonder they have become cynical.
Posted by Steven Mintz, Ph.D., aka Ethics Sage, on June 26, 2024. You can sign up for his newsletter and learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/.
