The "law stuff" is where things tend to get weird?
Sorry. But it's quite the contrary. The "law stuff" is what keeps the "weird stuff" away, and out of our lives. And we have the right to expect that.
The amish have done nothing more than form a very small, and very controlled local government. People obey the rules, mostly, because they have a sense of shame that is instilled in them from birth.
In our culture, in the not very distant past, people didn't use to avoid saying F**K Y**U on TV just because some "GOVERNEMENT" meanies wouldn't let them. They would have been ashamed of doing it. Society wouldn't tolerate it. And if they didn't have any shame, the governement was the PEOPLES tool of correcting the problem.
I was not talking principal, I was talking factual. Sort of like, abortion is wrong and should be illegal, but that law stuff says otherwise.
They get weird because they change, they get weird because despite one's best intentions laws make criminals, it makes ok to do what one does not think should be, but when all is said and done if the law is on the opposing side you don't really win until you have gotten it on yours.
My using the amish as an example was that when like minded people get together and agree they don't have the hassle of caring what the laws are in some respects, but when they do make laws it now falls into the legal realm which can cause really weird things to happen. The amish own most all of the land in Holmes county, if they make a law that says kids can pray in schools, well they have problems because their law affects more than just themselves. Should they be able to make such laws and be able to use the courts to remedy situations where someone violates those laws - now that is a different question altogether. Now they don't have to turn to the government and ask that they get involved, they settle things amongst themselves - and it is in that context i was using the term weird, the law can make things more difficult to accomplish the goals, it can be a hinderance.
The "law stuff" is what keeps the "weird stuff" away, and out of our lives.
what keeps it out of our lives is first ourselves, and then the law. Law has a place, but on personal moral issues it should be in last place - so as those that want us to teach our kids about fisting in schools we fund should not be able to do so. If they want their kids to have a sex education, that is a moral issue (outside of general reproductive science) and should not be allowed in schools we fund. A balanced law will keep things out while allowing you the freedom to choose what you want to bring into your personal life. TV is another example, pay tv - show what you want, public airwaves which can be picked up by the general public should be regulated by the public who is providing those airwaves for the use by television boradcast companies.
It is a balancing act in which the scales are often tipped in either direction depending on who is elected (not just to office of the president). The safest long term bet is self regulation, as it will always be more consistent.