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From: geb@cadre.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto,net.legal,net.politics
Subject: Re: Laws Nobody Obeys ARE NEEDED
Message-ID: <84@cadre.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Nov-84 10:25:26 EST
Article-I.D.: cadre.84
Posted: Thu Nov 15 10:25:26 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Nov-84 03:19:41 EST
References: <545@charm.UUCP> <491@aluxe.UUCP> <477@amdahl.UUCP>, <789@bnl.UUCP>
Organization: Decision Systems Lab., Univ. of Pgh.
Lines: 35

Just because a law is passed does not mean either
that it has been well considered, or that it is
best for the people.  It merely means the legislature
passed it and the executive signed it.  Quite often
this is due to the pressure of lobbyists and special
interest groups.  For example, in Pennsylvania, and
probably some other states, it is against the law to
sell milk at any price LOWER than what is set by the
milk board.  Everyone except the few dairy farmers
in the state agrees that this law is against the public
interest.  However, since the majority of state legislators
come from rural counties, where opposing the milk board
would cause them some political trouble, and the dairy
lobby is a lucrative source of campaign funds, the people
have to put up with this unjust law.  This is a very
negative feature of representative government that extends
to numerous areas, not just milk, and not just at the state
level.  

In addition, there are laws that infringe unjustly on individual
rights, such as those involving victimless crimes.  An example
is the law that prevents a person from knitting in their own
home and then selling the piece for profit, recently featured
on 60 minutes.  The unions who supported this wonderful piece
of legislation made no bones about the fact that they would
like to see the concept extended to the realm of COMPUTING
at home, for obvious reasons.  Not only do we have no moral
obligation to obey such tyranny, but in many cases, such as
Nazi Germany (don't forget, the majority of the society WANTED
Hitler, and approved of his policies), we have the moral obligation
to break the laws.  So, I would advocate, don't always equate
the bozos in the legislature with right, they may have the might,
but not always the right.