If you wander around the countryside of Japan, you'll find tiny huts or small tables with shelves along the roadside, where fresh vegetables, fruits and folk arts are placed with a small can. Anyone who wants them can take them after paying. You might think that it's common everywhere, but there isn't any salesperson there. Can you believe it? The shoppers voluntarily throw the money into the can and get the stuff. It's the easiest way for people to get fresh crops from farmers. I'll show you some pictures of those no-manned stalls which my friend sent to me. When I was a little child, everyone followed the rule and there was no theft of merchandise, but now some people's conscience got rotten and some took vegetables without paying. The signs in the pictures are saying, "Be honest!", "No theft!" or something similar. I got sad to see these pictures. The conscience of Japanese people is disappearing.
For a few decades after World War Two, moral education has been made light of by the authorities. I suspect that the above is the result of this wrong policy. I think that the government has to improve moral teaching. The number of cruel crimes in Japan is getting high these days. I think that this is also the effect of poor ethical education.
(Vocabulary)
conscience 良心, 道義心
on your conscience 気に病んで, 気がとがめて
Could you live with that on your conscience? そのことを気に病んだままでいられるんですか．
a guilty conscience やましく思うこと, 良心の呵責(かしゃく)
a clear conscience やましさがないこと, 良心のとがめのないこと
a matter of conscience 良心の問題
a social conscience 社会的道徳心
by/on/along the roadside 道路わきに, 道端に
folk art 民芸品
bill ちらし, びら, 張り紙
ethical education / moral instruction / moral teaching 道徳教育
make light of （物・人を）軽視する
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