Path: utzoo!lsuc!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!me!zougas
From: zougas@me.utoronto.ca ("Athanasios(Tom) Zougas")
Newsgroups: ont.general
Subject: Re: Lawbreakers (was Radar Detectors (was Highway Driving Rules))
Message-ID: <89May16.132807edt.18882@me.utoronto.ca>
Date: 16 May 89 17:27:57 GMT
References: <9584@watcgl.waterloo.edu> <3217@looking.UUCP> <3225@looking.UUCP> <264@sickkids.UUCP>
Reply-To: zougas@hammer.me.UUCP (Athanasios(Tom) Zougas)
Distribution: ont
Organization: University of Toronto Mechanical Engineering
Lines: 40

In article <264@sickkids.UUCP> mark@sickkids.UUCP (Mark Bartelt) writes:
>In article <3217@looking.UUCP> brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes:
>	.............
>In article <9584@watcgl.waterloo.edu> kim@watsup.waterloo.edu (Kim Nguyen) writes:
>
>>                                                          there must be
>> something wrong with a law if most people don't adhere to it.
>
>Perhaps.  But then why isn't the law changed?  Actually, the question that
>interests me more is the following.  Consider these three statements:
>
>   (1)  I frequently drive 10 or 20 mph over the speed limit, for the
>        simple reason that it gets me where I'm going more quickly.
>
>   (2)  I often cheat on my income taxes, for the simple reason that
>        it leaves me with more money to spend.
>
>   (3)  I like to shoplift, for the simple reason that it permits me
>        to acquire more possessions at a lower cost.
>
>I suspect that many people would find nothing remarkable about #1, whereas
>most people would find #2 ethically questionable, at the very least, and
>would be rather shocked by #3.  But what's the difference, really?

The difference is:

	(3)	You are taking away PROPERTY from its rightful owner 
 		without their permission.
	(2)	You are taking away MONEY from the government.
	(1)	What are you taking away from whom in this case?

My point is that all illegal activities DO NOT fall under the same category.
I think it would be more interesting to discuss why the traffic laws are
what they are and not to say: "Well, the laws the law and we have to obey
it."

-- 
This is my signature:

	tom zougas