[ManxMouse]

^^^
You're not making sense. I never said that "societal law is synonymous with ethics and morals." Obviously though, ethical and moral considerations are the single biggest foundation for the law- and regulation-making process. Individuals vote other individuals into office, who then consider their constituencies when making law, and the Supreme Court in turn takes into account evolving patterns in the law in determining what's "cruel and unusual." That was just an example of how it all fits together. We as a society determine what is legally acceptable, which overlaps with what we consider morally acceptable as a society. As with past practices such as slavery or more recently dog-fighting, over time, there often becomes a consensus that something isn't moral. And I hope that's where we're headed with horse-racing.....the number of deaths is appalling, only the high-profile Kentucky Derby ones get attention, though.