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Laws Be Damned
NewsMax ^ | 17 February 2004 | Al Rantel

Posted on 02/17/2004 10:35:30 AM PST by 45Auto

There is a new political development in America that should frighten every law abiding citizen in this country. That is the growing disregard for people who follow the law and play by the rules, and the rewarding of those who do not.

Where I live in California we have two concurrent stories going on that demonstrate clearly what is at issue. The first one involves the Mayor of San Francisco who, though sworn to uphold the laws and the Constitution of California in his just taken oath of office, now allows and instructs city government to break those laws.

Under California’s penal code, he might very well be committing a felony. Mayor Newsome has decided that he doesn’t like California’s law that says marriage is only between one man and one woman and so he orders marriage licenses to be issued to hundreds of gay couples waiting in line at city hall.

The public and the law be damned, the Mayor will do what he wants. Meantime, Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger has a “no comment” for the media when asked about it, and the State’s Attorney General musters a statement that no one has asked him to issue a legal opinion. Are they serious?

Imagine for a moment if some local public official starting giving out gun licenses en masse because he did not like California’s oppressive anti-gun laws? The entire weight of the media elite and the state would be down upon his head. The irony is there is in fact a right to bear arms as stated in the now ignored second amendment to the Unites States Constitution. There is no right to get married.

The second example is the newest move in California only weeks after a similar law was repealed due to huge public opposition to allow those people in this country illegally to obtain California drivers licenses. The Governor now says he is close to a deal with the state’s liberal Democrats that run the legislature to bring back the idea with a few new safeguards like background checks.

Yes, background checks for people who are already living outside the law and who as illegals are notorious for having more false documents than Saddam Hussein’s weapons manufacturers. Those who have chosen to ignore and outright violate the nation’s laws on how one enters into this country would be rewarded with the most important piece of state documentation, the drivers license. As we all know, this photo identification in a country that does not have a national ID card is used even to enter the country when you come from places like Mexico or Canada, but is also used as ID to board commercial aircraft.

So here we are living in a country that stands for the rule of law and not the rule of a single individual or group of individuals, and those who choose to break the law are not only allowed to keep on doing so but in the case of the drivers license controversy, they are given a reward for thumbing their noses at the rest of us.

What will happen to our society when people begin to ask what law they can break that they don’t like? What will happen to our society when it finally becomes clear to law abiding citizens that those who do not obey the laws are not only not worse off than they, but in some ways are better off?

Just think, in the nation’s most populous state today, you can get an illegal marriage license and soon be illegal and get a drivers license. Not only will public officials not stop you, but they will even help you to break the rules. Even the tough guy Governor will not be able to muster a comment when he used to talk for living.

America has never been on such a morally ambiguous path, but no intelligent person can really believe all of this can make our country better, safer, or stronger as a nation. And we embark on this road at our own peril.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; US: California
KEYWORDS: alrantel; law; lawbreakers; samesexmarriage; sf; stunt; theruleoflaw
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To: Paul C. Jesup
When the house cards finally started to fall, the U.S.S.R. collapsed in 3 days.

I had that same image in mind when I posted, but I couldn't bring myself to type it. When things start snowballing, the chaos increases at an exponential rate. We ain't seen nothin' yet. It'll get dizzying. And still, most people are content with their bread and circuses.

81 posted on 02/17/2004 8:56:58 PM PST by Don Joe (We've traded the Rule of Law for the Law of Rule.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck
Do you really think he'd veto it?
82 posted on 02/17/2004 8:58:12 PM PST by Don Joe (We've traded the Rule of Law for the Law of Rule.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck
They're not that bright. They're thugs.
83 posted on 02/17/2004 8:58:55 PM PST by Don Joe (We've traded the Rule of Law for the Law of Rule.)
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To: Don Joe
Does CA law require a second override vote? Does it allow pocket vetos?
84 posted on 02/17/2004 9:04:28 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: HiTech RedNeck
Heck if I know. Maybe someone else can chime in with the answer?
85 posted on 02/17/2004 9:07:46 PM PST by Don Joe (We've traded the Rule of Law for the Law of Rule.)
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To: Mulder
That's because most of the traffic laws have little to do with public safety....

Huh? Traffic laws are all about public safety. They were written and designed so that millions of cars could move around in a safe manner. Can you imagine if we had no traffic laws?

A rather uneducated statement.

86 posted on 02/18/2004 4:53:30 AM PST by raybbr (My 1.4 cents - It used to be 2 cents, but after taxes - you get the idea.)
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To: 45Auto
Judges rewrite the laws all the time! Why not Mayors? Council members? Elected dog catchers? Or even public citizen?
87 posted on 02/18/2004 5:06:50 AM PST by GregoryFul
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To: Modernman
The Constitution was written to be plain enough for the common man to understand it. The trouble is, lawyers have so damaged the language that they can make a case for common misunderstanding of the word 'is'. And judges sometimes rule in a paradoxical way, suddenly reversing hundreds of years of people's previous understanding of the law.
88 posted on 02/18/2004 5:32:39 AM PST by GregoryFul
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To: raybbr
Traffic laws are all about public safety. They were written and designed so that millions of cars could move around in a safe manner.

Well, that might have been true 40 years ago, but they haven't changed to keep up with new technology and safer cars.

Can you imagine if we had no traffic laws?

Some traffic laws are important, like laws against tailgating and improper use of the left lane.

Others are nothing more than revenue mechanisms for the state, such as speeding laws on interstates. 70 MPH is rediculously slow for interstate traffic.

89 posted on 02/18/2004 6:01:55 AM PST by Mulder (Fight the future)
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To: HiTech RedNeck
The Country will prevail, Under God as long as one us is still standing. Delta Niner Meet them at the Mena Diner!
Ops4 God Bless America!
90 posted on 02/18/2004 6:53:16 AM PST by OPS4
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To: thoughtomator
...but the fact of the law as it stands supports Moore.

While you can keep saying that until you're blue in the face, it doesn't. And obviously.

91 posted on 02/18/2004 7:13:36 AM PST by jimt
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To: 45Auto
What can we do? The solution may not be at the ballot box.

A small group of conservatives, one a lawyer, needs to take action.

First, a group of say five, needs to go in and demand a license for their "marriage".

Next, a guy needs to go in and demand a license to "marry" his dog.

Third, another conservative needs to enter and demand a license to "marry" his car.

Then the lawyer needs to file a twelve gazillion dollar suit against the city clerk and the mayor if the licenses are not granted, or hold a press conference with his clients if they are. If homosexuals have the right to redefine the thousands of years old institution of marriage, there is absolutely no reason why it should stop at "two" or at "persons".

The homosexuals pushing this need to be shown up for the lunatics that they are.

92 posted on 02/18/2004 7:21:47 AM PST by jimt
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To: 45Auto
What are the chances of a recall?
93 posted on 02/18/2004 7:22:22 AM PST by MissAmericanPie
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To: raybbr
Traffic laws are all about public safety.

Would you like to tell another one ? That one was pretty funny !

94 posted on 02/18/2004 7:28:06 AM PST by jimt
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To: 45Auto
And where the hell is the states attorney general?Doesn't the moron know what is he being paid for?They all need to be tarred and feathered. They should all lose their positions and benefits that WE pay for. We're being robbed of everything that made this country great.
95 posted on 02/18/2004 7:31:59 AM PST by novacation
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To: jimt
If they are not about safely maneuvering cars among the public roads, then pray, tell me what they are for?
96 posted on 02/18/2004 7:37:46 AM PST by raybbr (My 1.4 cents - It used to be 2 cents, but after taxes - you get the idea.)
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To: You Dirty Rats
"Dubya and the Republicans need to stand up and demand respect for the law in this country. I have no desire to see this country end up like Brazil."


I doubt that they will......................

It would make them less "electable" and therefore help the democrats..............
97 posted on 02/18/2004 7:44:17 AM PST by WhiteGuy (Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...)
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To: raybbr
If they are not about safely maneuvering cars among the public roads, then pray, tell me what they are for?

Too often they're about "revenue enhancement". There are municipalities whose police department is not only entirely supported by traffic tickets, but actually turns a profit.

98 posted on 02/18/2004 7:59:03 AM PST by jimt
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To: jimt
Perhaps the fines are but the laws are designed to safely control the movement of cars among the public.
99 posted on 02/18/2004 8:23:01 AM PST by raybbr (My 1.4 cents - It used to be 2 cents, but after taxes - you get the idea.)
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To: MissAmericanPie
About as much chance as there was of Clinton getting convicted of perjury.
100 posted on 02/18/2004 11:02:44 AM PST by 45Auto (Big holes are (almost) always better.)
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