… Norms do change, and often have changed, in American history. Partly that’s because norms, which are assumed and usually unwritten, can mean different things to different people. They are not formal rules, and they can apply both to individuals and to institutions. The Oxford English Dictionary calls them “a standard or pattern, especially of social behavior, that is typical or expected of a group.” And while norms refer to conduct, they are rooted in values. …
Yet there is an often overlooked paradox when it comes to overturning outdated or morally defective norms. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 didn’t just change the law; they directly attacked long-standing norms of racial segregation and subjugation. These landmark bills were passed through the democratic process and, thanks to a popular mobilization, enabled by our national traditions of free speech and free expression. Without norms honoring democracy and free speech rights, this mobilization would have been impossible. Weaker norms of expression and protest would weaken democracy, and a weaker democracy would make it harder to push aside defective norms. Ultimately, the norms that must be preserved are the ones that make democratic life possible. CONT.
E.J. Dionne Jr., Norman Ornstein & Thomas E. Mann, Washington Post