Should laws be broken?

[Smiling JOe]

After reading another post, I am curious as to how many of you feel similar. Should laws which are not being enforced be broken, simply because they are not being enforced, as one poster announced? I totally believe in civil disobedience, but only when I think the laws are not just.

 

[Kurt]

I think your poll question is it a little off but I understand what you are trying to say but it boils down to "should I break a law because I can get away with it"? Is it worth the risk? Are others getting away with it?

Your question - "Should unenforced laws be broken simply because they are uneforced?" is too vague.


Then you start getting into other ideas like the validity of laws. Should some of them not exist? Are some wrong? Will anyone be hurt if I break the law? Will I be hurt if I break the law? etc. etc.
What is society and what behaviors are important to a lawful society?

 

[Allifunn]

Does this mean outdated laws?? Sometimes, especially here in SC..:roll: , there are laws on the books that are so antiquated that pople are breaking the law on a daily basis...but have no clue. If it is a stupid law...and it is being broken.... I would tend to ignore the law if it is not being enforced...what thread are you referring to?

 

[Mermaid]

After reading another post, I am curious as to how many of you feel similar. Should laws which are not being enforced be broken, simply because they are not being enforced, as one poster announced? I totally believe in civil disobedience, but only when I think the laws are not just.

More background, please. Are you referring to the thread about people leaving all their junk on the beach because they know it will be there the next morning, to heck with nesting turtles? Or something else?

I think Allifunn brings up an interesting point, about people breaking laws and not even being aware of doing so. I thought about that when I read that thread about bicycling. I think you're the one who said that bicycles must be walked across intersections. I've never done that in all the decades I've riden my bike nor have I ever seen anyone else do it. And yet it's apparently a law of the road. Never enforced, obviously.

Which leads to another thing about ignorance of the law being no excuse. I am law-abiding, I think...but maybe not?

 

[Kimmifunn]

So Saturday night I thought I'd opened a tab at the bar and realized I hadn't. I snuck out without paying. I totally broke the law by stealing per se, but got away with it, which made it ok. Do I feel bad about it, yeah. But do I feel better about saving $80? Hell yeah. There are degrees to that. Obviously. Duh. But speeding...techincally you can get a ticket for barely going over. Or driving after 1 beer even though you aren't drunk.

Good one Smiley J. For your sake, let's hope you can keep this thread going without interruptions.

 

[dbuck]

Everything is so complicated these days.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Sorry, the thread in question is regarding Golf Carts on the road and bike path. The poster wrote that he wasn't going to abide by laws which were unenforced.

 

[Kimmifunn]

Sorry, the thread in question is regarding Golf Carts on the road and bike path. The poster wrote that he wasn't going to abide by laws which were unenforced.

So doing it even though you know you won't get busted.
There is a reason that law is in place. And when a kid gets caught under a golf cart I guess they start enforcing it?

 

[Allifunn]

Sorry, the thread in question is regarding Golf Carts on the road and bike path. The poster wrote that he wasn't going to abide by laws which were unenforced.

I guess for me, if it is a law, such as this one, even if it is not enforced, I would tend to abide by it.....there must be a good reason for it (dangerous cart drivers, underaged drivers...etc..) And as soon as I broke it..I would be the one they make an example of!

 

[Mermaid]

Sorry, the thread in question is regarding Golf Carts on the road and bike path. The poster wrote that he wasn't going to abide by laws which were unenforced.

Not enforced? If I see a golf cart coming at me on the 30-A bike path, I'll lay my body (and bike if I have it) across the path and dare them to run me over. I'm serious. Some homegrown enforcement--what's that called again? Peer pressure?--might be all that's required in SoWal for this particular offence.