At the Sturgis motorcycle rally, in 2013, Robbie Knievel, son of famed motorcycle stunt-man Evel Knievel and accomplished stunt-man in his own right, was busted for drunk driving. Completely unapologetic, he raved (in what I can only assume was a drunken tirade) that, “I ride motorcycles, and I drink. I’m a frickin drinkin, drivin daredevil. I jump motorcycles, I ride motorcycles and I frickin drink and ride. That’s my deal.”

There were no takers on the deal he was offering.

There is nothing unethical about drinking, and there is nothing unethical about being drunk. But drunkenness does not excuse anyone from their responsibility to be good, no matter how famous they may be. If you break the golden rule while drunk, you become an outlaw from it just the same, and must face the consequences of such dereliction whether drunk or sober.

Drunk driving Robbie Knievel just caused a four-vehicle pile-up last week, slamming into a line of vehicles with his SUV.

Fortunately, this is one of those instances where the law matches the basics of ethics. For having broken rules 2.1 and 2.2, Robbie is already spending time behind bars and faces fines as well.

Fame will not excuse you from being fundamentally ethical, and neither will making a poor grasp of ethics part of your identity. Is that just “who you are;” is that “what you do?” Well, stop doing and being that. You can choose better for yourself… so do it.

That’s my deal.

As riots once again break out amid protests about police violence, I recall an analyst being interviewed on Democracy Now during the Ferguson riots who advocated that we must “get past the violence” to listen to what the protestors are demanding.

This, of course, is impossible.

Violence is the cornerstone of ethical philosophy. It is the entire goal of ethics, to eradicate violence. It is the source of all miscommunication, in both Ferguson and in yesterday’s riot in Baltimore, that good people believe that violence makes a message unlistenable, while evil people believe that violence is what should prompt others to listen to their message.

These evil people are mistaken. Rule 1.1.1 says not to commit violence against others physically, and rule 2.1 says not to steal or damage the property of others. Riots, regardless of motivation, are by definition the exact antithesis of these rules. They are evil, and those who commit them are evil.

Feeling ignored? Feeling shut out of the process of justice? Would you like to right a wrong that you perceive in government? Don’t riot. That’s exactly the worst way to get your message communicated and acted upon usefully.