Are Laws Just Helpful Guidelines for Stupid People?

And you have to bear with my cynicism on this subject but there is a point in which I will make if this thread receives any bit of attention.



I am not condemning our judicial system on the whole but there are some major issues that need to be addressed. For instance do we really need protection from are selves?

Seatbelt laws, for example, effect no one but the individual yet it is illegal to drive now without one in most states, why?



I was brought up to respect the Laws in our country but now I am indifferent to many of the new ones being instituted on a Federal level. Am I now considered a rebel or a criminal for I will not follow what they deem as acceptable?



Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. So what are they there for?
Someone in my town murdered his cousin, went to jail was released 3 years later. 1 month later he killed his wife, went to jail was released 4 years later. 3 months later he shot up a Clinic hitting the guard in the leg, went to jail was released 2 years later. Then he tried to kill the Sheriff, was released by mistake and nobody has seen him since. This may be an extreme example but I know 4 people who have been convicted of felonies and all but one has been acquitted, but he is still awaiting trial.



So where am I going with this, well if all 'good' people obey the law, pay there tickets, do there time and go through the general inconvenience of getting caught to begin with, start seeing that all the 'bad' people don't obey the law, but pay there lawyers, do minimal if any time and go through the general inconvenience of getting caught as a business risk. Meanwhile they are making money hand over fist illegally, living better then most of us today ever will, why do what is right at all or even care?



I am not saying we let all the rapists, murderers, pedophiles and mob bosses out of jail (most of which are out all ready) but I think it's about time we look at the laws we have and try to make them better, not institute more guidelines on how to live in a socially accepted way.



Our political, judicial and executive system is turning into a big joke. Somehow individuals in these systems are trying to do the right thing but when placed in the modern context of our society it fails miserably. Our founding fathers had a plan for this country, they were great men. Now we need to figure out how to tweak the system they created if there legacy is to mean anything at all.

I don't think we need protection from "are" selves, but probably "our" selves.
We don't need either.

Everyone is stupid. No one would use there brain or intelligence without being forced, and it really is true.



This video shows you why people need to be forced to use there minds.

Shows you how bizarre people are, this is china, but it could be any place on earth.

Just watch how messed up people are, and so many of these things look so easily avoided, but thats people without being forced to use there minds.

Your post is disjointed and flawed, but your ultimate point is an interesting one.

I think that ideally, laws are guidelines for stupid people. That's definitely how they originated. Basically "don't crap where you eat" types of things. This is why I'll cross a street without a light if there are no cars around.

reply to post by Solasis


I personally think all humans and i mean no exceptions are too stupid to live without laws and being forced.

Watch my video above and you will see what humans do.

i wouldn't call the chinese stupid, but their government is, even though some of the bicycle crashes could have been avoided with some common sense, you would figure someone would have installed stop signs.

i thought a nation with nuclear weapons and over a billion people would have atleast one person smart enough to recommend stop signs to reduce traffic accidents.

the rapist picture should go down as an all time classic, no wonder the newscaster has a scared/worried look
goin on.

i bet he was thinking, dang i hope these white people are to stupid to notice.

Laws are just a way for the rich or privileged to easily control the masses. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is for a rich person to be sent to jail?

Privileged in fact actually means "law applying to one person"

mid-12c. (recorded earlier in O.E., but as a Latin word), from O.Fr. privilege (12c.), from L. privilegium "law applying to one person," later "privilege," from privus "individual" + lex (gen. legis) "law."

etymology

Laws are for the guidance of the wise and the obedience of fools.

Originally posted by davespanners

Laws are just a way for the rich or privileged to easily control the masses. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is for a rich person to be sent to jail?

rich people only get sent to jail when they screw over other rich people, i.e. conrad black, bernie madoff etc.

donald trump would've have been on that list, but that guy is a new york hustler and knows who you can screw with and who not to mess with.

In my opinion, laws are not guidelines for stupid people; rather, they are a safety net to protect the rest of us from the stupid people.

No.People invariably know right from wrong "but society needs clear measurable standards.Laws don't always prevent crime. in fact more often they are merely to provide a framework to apply corrective actions.

I.E. Air force dress and appearance regulations( afr35-10) says a mustache must not extend past the corner of the mouth: Because it looks stylish? No in fact it looks ridiculous!,

but; because most everybody has a mouth its clearly recognizable; enforceable standard. A neighborhood street speed limit is posted 35mph. Is 35.6mph speeding :? Yes itis.Is it going "unreasonably fast"? No.

Originally posted by andy1033
Everyone is stupid. No one would use there brain or intelligence without being forced, and it really is true.

This video shows you why people need to be forced to use there minds.

Shows you how bizarre people are, this is china, but it could be any place on earth.

Just watch how messed up people are, and so many of these things look so easily avoided, but thats people without being forced to use there minds.

edit on 12/3/2010 by andy1033 because: (no reason given)

"Everyone" is not stupid.

Funny reading a post saying people might be smarter if they used Their minds a little more..
Looks like we need a few more chinese fellers over there?

Depends on what laws youre talking about.
The ones on the books that punish and restrict the common person,
or the ones on the books that you can buy your way out of if youre wealthy enough?

Originally there was only the 'law of the jungle' - might is right, the BIOLOGICAL IMPERATIVE. (instinctive self)


Social systems ( a new self) instituted customs, traditions, taboos, rules, to regulate the conflict between selfish biological imperatives and social 'values'.

Complex social sytems in turn needed to regulate the conflict between social values and intellectual values ( a new focus for the self) - hence laws based on fairness, justice, human rights, ethics etc.


There is currently a war for control going on between 'intellectuals' and traditional values (social values) where liberals and leftists are attacking the traditional social values system at every opportunity - they are even enlisting the criminal (biological) classes in this attack.

Hence..........if you insist on treating criminals as though they are intellectuals (human rights) - don't be surprised if the results are a joke!

I think there is only one person in history who has given a proper assessment for the concept of laws.

His name was Ammon Hennacy, and he is quite the interesting fellow.

He was first a socialist, and quite the openly violent one at that. He was also an atheist.

He was imprisoned during WWI for refusing conscription, and the only book he was allowed? The bible.

Ammon very radically changed, becoming a Christian. He was a pretty sharp guy regardless of his political philosophies, and figured out that hey, you can't really be a violent prick to everyone and be a Christian (some people still need to learn this, amazingly. They should read that same book too some time I think). So he became a pacifist. And he quickly realized that governments in any conflict of any form ultimately need to resort to some form of violence to resolve it in their favor. So he became an Anarchist.

He joined a surprisingly little known group that combined politics and religion in a pretty good way, called "Christian Anarchism". And it's actually quite the brilliant belief system to be honest.

Anyways, he said this. "Oh judge, damn your laws; good people don't need them, and bad people don't follow them."

No matter what you say, you can't deny that this is a fact of life.

People have become irresponsible,not so much stupid.

Laws are written,so that everyone has to pay for the mistakes of the few,and there is a lot of profit made by those who write laws,and the system that enforces those laws.

People have been influenced,through trinkets and luxury,and have become irresponsible as a result.

The system is there to reap the rewards,by pretending to fix something that has always been here,and always will be.

The trick is to make us irresponsible enough to actually think they are necessary.

In that respect,we have become almost stupid.

In regard to your seatbelt question. People get hurt/killed in auto accidents. People sue auto manufacturers when their loved ones get hurt/killed in auto accidents. People that wear seat belts are less likely to get hurt/killed in auto accidents. Auto manufacturers lobby congress to enact laws to make people wear seat belts.

Hope this helps.

Very interesting responses I especially love 'enforceable standards' as one of you wrote earlier. This leads me to think that there is a difference between 'Laws' and 'enforceable standards', but I need to think more on this before I answer this properly.
My problem with most laws in our country right now is that they are all avoidable, it is at a price, and as much as I hate to bring good ole OJ into this he would more then likely be in jail if it wasn't for the 'dream team' and the money he paid them. A Joe Schmo regular would not get the same level of justice.
I used to be financially well off 15 years ago and during this time I racked up 48 points on my drivers license, the cutoff in NJ was 12 points until you get suspended. But I paid my way out of it and only lost my license for 5 days total during this time, it should of been more like 10 years!
So I see an incredible bias toward this issue of rich and poor and what laws affect each. Back then I didn't care about paying huge fines so I willingly broke the law now I do care so I stay within the speed limit.

reply to post by AnteBellum


Actually, I only have one sentence as to why we have laws. And, its really simple.

Because we don't have a solution.

reply to post by andy1033


that is crazy, your right people are stupid and need laws/guidelines that all must respect in order to avoid the scenes in your video. people will always try to get away with it even when the laws are made, so scenes like in your video will continue even with law, but maybe not as often. i was starting to think the country in your video does not fit brakes on anything.

in the u.k. it is illegal to use your mobile phone while driving, but people still do it even though it is a common sense law, so yes laws are needed and need to be enforced, as long as they do not stretch into the realms of restricting peoples rights and privacy.