Hundred years ago, if you were drunk, mouthed off to an LEO, and maybe threw a punch, you would get knocked over the head, tossed in jail overnight, and fined $20.
Do that today and it's a felony, you lose many rights, including forfeiting the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and could spend many months in jail or prison.
And this is not the only example, there are Three Strikes laws and other crap like that.
Are we going overboard with our criminal punishments? Just had enough so it's "lock em up and throw away the key?"
2007-08-05 05:14:53 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
the jail system is a business a new form of slavery.here in NEW ORLEANS Louisiana.WE HAVE A LAW CALLED OBSTRUCTING THE SIDEWALK IF POLICE DONT LIKE YOU GUESS WHAT GAIL. FOR THAT,THEN WE HAVE DRUNK IN PUBLIC I DONT DRINK AT ALL AND I HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR THAT TWICE .I ASK FOR A BREATH TEST THEY DONT ADMINESTER THOSE BUT THEY DO FOR DWI THIS PLACE IS MESSED UP .
2007-08-05 05:26:41 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Ridiculously strict -- yes.
Trumped up -- depends on what you mean. No, they are not completely irrational and arbitrary. But yes, far too much personal conduct is regulated, and far too many restrictions are placed on people.
As for the other examples you give -- I actually support the Three Strikes laws for violent felons, and for making assaulting a police officer in the line of duty a serious offense.
If we're going to have laws, the ones that make the most sense are laws that keep violent dangerous people away from the innocent, but don't restrict other non-violent personal choice.
Attacking a police officer is an attack on the system -- repeated violent felonies indicate the person is a persistent threat -- these are reasons to punish someone.
But too may laws are concerned with what people choose to do that doesn't harm anyone else -- and those need to go. Then we can focus law enforcement on the violent criminals, and everyone is better off.
2007-08-05 05:22:06 · answer #2 · answered by coragryph 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
In the late 1700's the Age or Reason produced two revolutions in liberty - the US and France. As Lincoln said in Gettysburg a hundred years later, it remains to be seen if this experiment in personal liberty can long survive. The erosion of our rights since then, particularly over the past six years, is both regrettable and profound. God only knows if it was necessary.
2007-08-05 05:31:47 · answer #3 · answered by bullwinkle 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I do agree with you that they are getting carried away with some of this garbage they come up with. They are to busy making new laws, instead of enforcing the ones we have now.
2007-08-05 05:20:08 · answer #4 · answered by trf6x6 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Some of them are ridiculous, but then some aren't. I found a websites that has totally inane laws....
http://www.nottslawsoc.org/odd_laws.htm
2007-08-05 05:29:05 · answer #5 · answered by Milkaholic 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋