Avishai Margalit has characterized a decent society as one in which institutions do not humiliate citizens, but this principle should be extended to require that institutions respond to some humiliations. Social institutions can humiliate persons directly through denying privileges or indirectly by failing to respond to crimes. Society should publicly respond to official acts that humiliate and to instances when authority overreacts. A society which forgives humiliation is not responding to humiliation.
