When the Law was the Law

Remember a long time ago, when people actually would abide by the law? It was their duty to follow the laws and not break or infringe upon them. To be a good citizen and do what was courteous and right. To allow for others to be accountable and responsible for their own lives and we would do the same. Where have those days gone?

As I was reading an article, found HERE, I became acutely aware of how our society has changed. It would appear that instead of following the law, people, including children, are trying to find ways to subvert them. In this case, instead of just putting their cell phone in their locker, which is the rule, they would rather try to sneak them in their fur-lined boots.

And so it is with society. The speed limit is 55 MPH, lets say, but there is an established "grey area" where if everyone is going 65 MPH, then it is acceptable to do the same. However, it is still against the law. You will know this if you are the person who gets pulled over and cited for speeding. Then there is the story of the video voyeur who was secretly video taping someone in the bathroom doing whatever they were doing. When he got caught, his statement was, "Hey, it's not illegal.". Now we have an amazing amount of laws about secretly video taping anyone or anything.

As we continue to cut the already fine line of the law to get away with even more, we end up creating a set of laws that cannot be followed, even by the best of us. It is literally impossible to abide by every law every day under every circumstance. We have created the modern version of the Old Testament laws, when you could only walk so many feet on a given day, or eat only one type of food on a different day, or worship only a certain way.

It is no wonder why people are so angry and on-edge. They are under constant pressure to abide by thousands of laws every day, and still work, which means following even more laws, and then take care of their family, which requires more laws, and then go to church, which requires even more laws...  *SCREAM*

How are we to cope with such madness?

We are reaching a societal boiling point. Crime is up, and rampant. Anger is out of control. Respect is gone. And accountability and responsibility belong to someone, or something, else. I see it just getting worse over the next few years. Which, sadly, means there with be more outrageous murders, terrorist attacks, and the complete meltdown of whole communities.

And, to top it off, we as a society, are creating a new second-class society. Where these chosen few are not allowed to enjoy the same freedoms as the "regular" citizen. I site THIS article. Now a person, whose only transgression was to get caught urinating in public, must apply for permission to enter a public park that his taxes have helped pay for. Mind you, I am not condoning any behavior, just the equality of justice and the laws.

With that being said, I ask the following questions:

• Did banning guns stop gun violence?
• Does keeping someone out of a park keep them from victimizing them when they leave the park?
• Does making it illegal to trespass stop someone from trespassing?
• Does video surveillance stop crime?
• Does passing bullying laws stop bullying?

So there it is. These laws, the creation of a second-class citizen, or any other outrageous requirements DO NOT stop, hinder, deter, or otherwise prevent crimes or victimization.

However, there is one thing that does work: Self Empowerment. In this current society where every fears everything, and fear-mongering is run-amok, people believe they need someone else to protect them from harms way. This is simply not true. Each of us has the ability to protect ourselves and our interests as long as the law doesn't get involved. I say that, having read a story of a man who broke into a house to burglarize it. During the commission of his crime, he became stranded inside the garage and was forced to eat dog food and drink sodas to keep himself alive until the homeowners returned from their vacation. Naturally, the would-be burglar was arrested. But that is not the end of the story. This thief, after his conviction, sued the victimized family. For what you ask? Mental anguish, and was award $600,000.

The store above, is, of course, an Urban Myth, but it does represent the bombastic attempt to circumvent and/or abuse the law for their own gain despite the harm that it may cause another. There are plenty of lawsuits that are real and serve to do the very same thing. How about the person who sued McDonald's because they got burned when their coffee spilled: it was too hot! HERE's the link.

So there you have it. If we don't get ourselves, as a society, under control, we are heading for a major disaster. Further, we cannot rely on the government, the police, or our judges to lookout for our best interests. They are only interested in their agenda and not the truth or the reality of any given situation. it used to be "Buyer Beware," now it's "Citizen Beware."