[stuartcr]

I’m not sure, but I don’t think ‘Gunsmoke’ was actually representative of real life back then.

[shibumi]

I’m only talking about the attitude evinced by “the law” toward people’s personal affairs and decisions.

The same can be seen in many other representations of life in the past couple of centuries. I can distinctly remember a similar episode in one of the old Sherlock Holmes movies with Basil Rathbone.

Don’t worry - I’m not confusing life with art. I’m merely saying that some aspects of this particular art reflect a different sensibility toward personal decision making than what we see today.