New ways to break the law! (are you a criminal? Probably)

http://www.theadvocates.org ^ | Bill Winter

[freepatriot32]

Here's a question for you: Can you get through 24 hours without breaking a law? Before you answer, consider:

In January, an Atlanta man was arrested and handcuffed for selling a subway token at face value. Donald Pirone observed another passenger having difficulty with a token vending machine, so he gave him a $1.75 token. After the man insisted on paying him, Pirone was cited by a transit officer for a misdemeanor, since state law prohibits selling tokens -- even at face value. A MARTA spokesperson denied that handcuffing a customer for helping another customer was excessive. "There are customer service phones for people who are having trouble getting tokens out of the machine," she said.

Meanwhile, in late 2005, an Ohio man spent three days in jail because he didn't put identification tags on his family's pet turtles and snakes. Terry Wilkins broke a state law requiring owners of native reptiles to tag them with a PIT (personal-integrated transponder). The tags, which are the size of a grain of rice and can be inserted under the animal's skin, contain a bar code readable by a scanner. Wilkins refused to tag the animals because he said PIT tags cause health problems in small reptiles.

It goes on. In Kentucky, Larry Casteel was arrested for not attending a parenting class for divorcing parents, as mandated by state law. He spent the night in jail. In New Jersey, police are giving tickets to people who leave their cars running for more than three minutes in store parking lots. Stopwatch-wielding police hit the offenders with a $200 fine for violating the state's anti-idling law. In northwest Georgia, 49 convenience store owners were arrested for selling legal products to customers. The owners -- mostly of Indian background -- sold cold medicine, baking soda, table salt, matches, and lantern fuel. Police said the ingredients could be used to make methamphetamine. In Burlington, Vermont, police are ticketing people for not removing keys from the ignition and locking their cars. Police said the state law prevents car thefts. Violators are fined $79.

So -- are you still sure you can get through a day without violating a law? If so, don't worry. Legislators are making more things illegal. In New York City, a city council member wants to make it a crime to ride a bike without a registration number tag. Violators would face up to 15 days imprisonment. In Illinois, a state senator wants to make it a crime not to have a carbon monoxide detector installed in your home. In Pennsylvania, a state senator filed a bill to allow police to fine drivers $75 if they don't clean snow off their car. In Virginia, a state legislator wants to make it illegal to show your underwear in public. Girls (or boys) with low-rider pants would get hit with a $50 fine if their thongs show.

Novelist Ayn Rand once wrote: "There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible to live without breaking laws."

Have we reached that point? Is it impossible to live without breaking laws? Before you answer, better check to make sure that your pets have transponder tags, that you didn't leave the keys in your car, and that your underwear is not showing.

Sources:

MARTA token: http://abcnews.go.com/US/print?id=1390140 Pet TIPs: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/13309603.htm Parenting class: http://www.reason.com/brickbats/bb-2005.shtml NJ anti-idling law: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060108/LIVING/601080331/1004/LIVING&theme=

VT locked cars: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060108/LIVING/601080331/1004/LIVING&theme= Convenience store: http://www.iacfpa.org/p_news/nit/iacpa-archieve/2005/08/19/civil2-19082995.html NY bikes: http://ridl.us/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=4889&sid=7bad222acdd8dc2f133555e0e62b5f34 CO2 detector: http://www.pioneerlocal.com/cgi-bin/ppo-story/localnews/current/ba/01-19-06-807026.html PA snow: http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/08/874.asp VA underwear: http://www.timesdispatch.com/

[freepatriot32]

"Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?” said Dr. Ferris. “We want them broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against - then you'll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We're after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you'd better get wise to it. There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted - and you create a nation of law-breakers - and then you cash in on guilt. Now, that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with.”

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[BenLurkin]

There are way too many laws already.

Legislators need to be paid for taking laws off the books.

[neodad]

Thank God they haven't searched my mattress.

[Americanexpat]

There are so many obscure laws on the books that we are a nation of outlaws and don't know it.

[Horatio Gates]

Thank God they haven't searched my mattress.

Apparently you haven't noticed the helicopter hovering near your house at night....8>)

[TexasTransplant]

Seat belts, clickit or ticket, roadblocks and vehicle searches

(just a few of my pet peeves)

TT

[birbear]

And to think... these laws (and almost all laws) made sense to a group of somebodies at one time.

[Cvengr]

Legislation like this makes you want to shoot the lawyers. Come to think about it, didn't Cheney shoot a guy who was a lawyer when they were out hunting Da(M)n Quayle? (sorry, I couldn't resist, hehehe)

[Celtjew Libertarian]

And to think... these laws (and almost all laws) made sense to a group of somebodies at one time.

More likely, it was a group of nobodies, who wanted to be somebodies.

What we need to do is have a sunset clause on every law -- even laws against murder -- that requires them to be reviewed and renewed every seven years, or else they are no longer law. Amend the Constitution to do that.

[Old Seadog]

"Whoopee! We're all outlaws."

[Old Seadog]

"Whoopee! We're all outlaws."

[mysterio]

But this can't be! We're "free!"

[Lady Jag]

Brilliant. Please add me to your list.

[mountn man]

Thanks to Carnivore and Echelon, the authorities are now on their way with "probable cause".

[RipSawyer]

There are so many obscure laws on the books that we are a nation of outlaws and don't know it.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I have been saying this for most of my adult life, I once told my father before his death that if everybody who broke a law were caught, convicted and sentenced that the last judge would have to lock the prison door behind himself and we would all starve because there would be none left outside to feed us.

[dennisw]

Ayn Rand = idiot
PING

[visualops]

made sense to a group of somebodies busybodies at one time

There, I fixed it for you.

[M203M4]

Oh, but you need all these laws, because people are too stupid/immoral/base to look after themselves. It is unfair for stupidity to be painful anyway - idiots need to be protected from hurting themselves. Personal responsibility and liberty are overrated anyway.

[Lost Dutchman]

If you were sit quietly in a room you might, just might, be able to go through the entire day without breaking any laws...

And even then, you are probably guilty of loitering. :)