7 deadly sins in the I.E.

There already was plenty of sin in the world. Now, there's more.

A Vatican official this week issued a list of new sins, including drug use, pollution, genetic manipulation and economic injustice.

In times past, the Catholic Church has defined sin mostly in the context of individual behavior, but as the modern world becomes more globalized and interconnected, new definitions are needed, said Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti.

The traditional list of sinful behaviors must be updated to include "new forms of social sin," he said.
In my opinion, the monsignor is absolutely correct. Social sins definitely are becoming a problem.
This is especially true in the Inland Empire, which is expanding and changing more rapidly than most other areas of the country, if not the world.

As our region grows, we will become more crowded, and as we become more crowded, we will need to discover new, better ways of getting along with one another.

New standards of conduct will be necessary. Things that may have been seen as minor transgressions in the past will come to be considered mortal sins as our multitudes increase.

What kind of sins are we talking about? As future Emperor of the Inland Empire, I am issuing the following list:

Littering, for one. Our roadsides and sidewalks and fields already look bad enough. Just imagine what it will be like when there are 10 times as many of us. Please, people, if you ruin the view
for all of us, it's a public crime. It's sociopathic. It's sinful.

Road rage is now out, too. Our highways will become more and more congested. We don't have time for temper tantrums. If you fuss and fight while you drive, may heaven have mercy on your soul, for you have sinned.

Don't foul your nest. Keep your house or condo or apartment looking tidy and neat. Keep your yard up. Brighten the corner where you are. Blight is a growing problem in the Inland Empire. Being a part of the problem is a sin.

Don't take shopping carts off store property. It's a crime. Leaving a cart abandoned on the street or sidewalk is more than a crime. It's a sin.

As our region becomes more and more populated, the lines we stand in will grow longer and longer. Let's practice a little etiquette, please. No taking cuts. No monopolizing the front of the line. No taking 16 items through the 15-items-only aisle. It's not just about common courtesy anymore. It's about sin.

Stop making so much noise, with your stereo, your unattended dogs, your motorcycle and car engines, and your leafblowers at 7 a.m. Stop yelling at your children in public. Stop cursing in public. Pipe down. You're not just a public nuisance anymore. You're a sinner.

As our region grows and multiplies, we must place more and more trust in our elected public officials to look after our best interests. We cannot tolerate shenanigans and scandals the way we used to. Betraying the public trust is now more than an insult, an offense, an affront. It's a mortal sin.

The best advice for politicians, and for all of us, really, as we go forward together into the future, is this:

Go and sin no more.