Did you know?

Agency involves more than just the freedom to make choices. If offered without explanation the choice between a bar of chocolate or a bar of Ex-lax, an innocent, unsuspecting person could easily choose the Ex-lax. The person doing the offering may find it funny to deceive someone in that way but the recipient of the Ex-lax would be pretty unhappy about the choice made without having a full knowledge of the consequences.
With a concern to avoid making any kids feel bad, school have expanded award ceremonies to the point that the student who has barely managed to simply show up for class gets acknowledged for something as well as the diligent student who put forth his best effort. Lack of effort is rewarded as much as effort.
Either due to the well-meaning generosity of hard-working parents or enforced socialistic government programs, an able-bodied couple can have children, a house, car, and food supported by very little employment by their choice to not work (I'm not referring to someone who has been unable to find a job) while next door may be a couple who both work full-time and have little more than their neighbors. There is no accountability for lack of effort.
I am grateful to live in a country where I am free to enjoy my God-given agency to the fullest. Nearly every day I make choices to speak and do things that would not be allowed in some places, even though I always do my best to make considerate, helpful choices. I have chosen where to live and how to live without government interference. But the freedom to make choices is not all that matters. If I don't have knowledge of the consequences of my choices or I am not accountable for the consequences of those choices, my greatest enemy has scored another point. According to the scriptures, Satan's goal is to take away our agency. The devil is not a red-skinned evil demon with pointy horns and a pitchfork to prod us to do wicked things. He is a son of God who has the desire to have God's power and hopes to win the "war" by enticing us to join him. He does not rely exclusively on coaxing people to murder, steal, or rape. He is very good at deception to pacify us into thinking that things are just fine. "All is well." He lulls us into ignoring our conscience until we are willing to accept just about anything as long as it doesn't interfere with our own little happy world. He scores points when people look the other way while saying, "There are worse things than this" or "I would certainly never do that but I wouldn't interfere with someone else's choice". I don't claim we have to picket or demand laws or force people to do what our conscience would say is a better choice. By simply being willing to keep still.... to not speak up for fear of offending someone our silence is a vote. Does anyone truly think that the violence (sexual or otherwise) on tv, video games, or movies has nothing to do with the increase of looting (we have a right to be angry!), loosened sexual morals (there is no such thing as ultimate right and wrong, I can have sex with whoever I want), or disrespect of others (how dare you say what I like or do is unhealthy or immoral?). Does it really not matter if the entertainment figure or politician we support lives an immoral life? Do we really think someone could lead well if they are dishonest in their personal life? Do we idolize those who don't care about standards to the point that we help make them millionaires and more?
We have intelligence and freedom to choose. We don't have to be ignorant of consequences nor do we need to refuse to demand accountability. If we are seeing the world decay around us, maybe we need to recognize that if we are not thinking about it enough to care, if we are not striving to be a voice of reason, if we are not working at a solution,
then we are part of the problem.