Would you follow the law if it sounded absurd? I was reading the local newspaper and there's a big to-do over a pensioner lubing up his drainpipe. Apparently, there's this area which has a high concentration of older retired people and has been targeted by burglars.This guy, after being robbed 3 times, decided to grease up his drainpipe (how the criminals were getting in) to take care of the problem.
After hearing about this, the police told him he had to clean it off or he would be criminally charged, and possibly sued, if anyone was hurt if they were trying to climb his drainpipe. Meanwhile, most of the neighbourhood asked him to do their drainpipes.
Would you follow what the police had to say?
Follow the Law?
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Follow the Law?
These kinds of questions always depend on the specific law. Ideally we'd have the time to campaign against all stupid laws but that isn't practical.
Some laws one might say not we not only have busy breaking, but a moral duty to break or thwart. This is afterall the country where slavery fueled the agriculture of the south. What kind of excuse is "following the law" when you're faced with that kind of injustice?
On the other hand if you get stuck assigned to a concentration camp in Germany, and you want to do the right thing, flat out refusing to follow commands might get you killed and help no one. Working behind the scenes or in secret might be more productive at the cost of you having to do some awful things.
There are laws the government had no business making, like laws regulating intimacy between adult citizens. These were recently invalidated in MA but still stand in a number of states. Most people ignored them and went about their lives, but if you were a member of a disfavored group (per the state) you might actually get charged, and then there's hte tough choice over whether to stand up and fight or roll over and try to get a light sentance. Or what to say when you're asked on a professional license application if you've ever committed a crime in the state.
At the other end are the laws that don't really exist, like traffic laws in Boston, or that 1816 regulation the cops have never heard of about not using a colt to open a can of beans.
I wonder if in this case it's a law or a bored / miseducated LEO that's the problem? Afterall people put up barbed wire, are they told to take it down to protect people breaking in?
I wonder what might happen if the guy took this story to the press? I bet they'd do a ton of work for him and public opinion would fall heavily in his favor and might enable him to continue protecting his dwelling. Beats picking a fight with the police on your own.
Some laws one might say not we not only have busy breaking, but a moral duty to break or thwart. This is afterall the country where slavery fueled the agriculture of the south. What kind of excuse is "following the law" when you're faced with that kind of injustice?
On the other hand if you get stuck assigned to a concentration camp in Germany, and you want to do the right thing, flat out refusing to follow commands might get you killed and help no one. Working behind the scenes or in secret might be more productive at the cost of you having to do some awful things.
There are laws the government had no business making, like laws regulating intimacy between adult citizens. These were recently invalidated in MA but still stand in a number of states. Most people ignored them and went about their lives, but if you were a member of a disfavored group (per the state) you might actually get charged, and then there's hte tough choice over whether to stand up and fight or roll over and try to get a light sentance. Or what to say when you're asked on a professional license application if you've ever committed a crime in the state.
At the other end are the laws that don't really exist, like traffic laws in Boston, or that 1816 regulation the cops have never heard of about not using a colt to open a can of beans.
I wonder if in this case it's a law or a bored / miseducated LEO that's the problem? Afterall people put up barbed wire, are they told to take it down to protect people breaking in?
I wonder what might happen if the guy took this story to the press? I bet they'd do a ton of work for him and public opinion would fall heavily in his favor and might enable him to continue protecting his dwelling. Beats picking a fight with the police on your own.
Follow the Law?
Greased the pipe officer so it wouldn`t rust and hey it keeps the snakes from climbing up like we did in Burma on the hut stilts. <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Colleen:
Would you follow the law if it sounded absurd? I was reading the local newspaper and there's a big to-do over a pensioner lubing up his drainpipe. Apparently, there's this area which has a high concentration of older retired people and has been targeted by burglars.This guy, after being robbed 3 times, decided to grease up his drainpipe (how the criminals were getting in) to take care of the problem.
After hearing about this, the police told him he had to clean it off or he would be criminally charged, and possibly sued, if anyone was hurt if they were trying to climb his drainpipe. Meanwhile, most of the neighbourhood asked him to do their drainpipes.
Would you follow what the police had to say?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Would you follow the law if it sounded absurd? I was reading the local newspaper and there's a big to-do over a pensioner lubing up his drainpipe. Apparently, there's this area which has a high concentration of older retired people and has been targeted by burglars.This guy, after being robbed 3 times, decided to grease up his drainpipe (how the criminals were getting in) to take care of the problem.
After hearing about this, the police told him he had to clean it off or he would be criminally charged, and possibly sued, if anyone was hurt if they were trying to climb his drainpipe. Meanwhile, most of the neighbourhood asked him to do their drainpipes.
Would you follow what the police had to say?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
