No One “Breaks” the Law

No One “Breaks” the Law

(It seems that the bad ones are indestructible)

JHB Wonders, 02/2015

 
 There are basically two types of laws in these united states of America. These are “mala in se” and “mala prohibita” (or “malum in se” and “malum prohibitum” in the law books). Mala in se laws could be defined as natural laws that concern a crime or an act that is inherently immoral, malicious, or perhaps evil. These would be things like theft, murder, rape, arson, etc. Many of these type of laws are from the Ten Commandments in the Bible (ref: Exodus 20:13-17). Mala prohibita type laws however are laws that we are to obey simply because “someone in government says so” (as a friend put it). Many of these laws are redundant, ridiculous, sometimes obsolete and perhaps not necessary for a free populace. But it seems that once a law is “enshrined”, it is all but impossible to get rid of it no matter how bad it is.  

  “Laws” are often made more problematic by the addition of “policies”, administrative and otherwise. The paper pushers get caught up in procedures (“that is they way we always do things here”) and they don’t care about you nor do they know or understand their limitations on authority per any laws. They do not know the law and misinterpretation and misapplication of “laws” abound (think IRS, DMV, etc). Not to mention the personal power trips some tax feeders indulge in at the expense and inconvenience of the public.  

Sometimes I need extra cash but I do not rob convienece stores because there is some government law against it. If I am feeling “lonely”, I do not go out and stalk or attack a woman because there is some government law against it. Except in a case of self-defense, I do not try to inflict bodily damage or kill someone because there is some government law against it. If I am mad at my neighbor I do not set fire to his house. If a chained up dog barks at me I do not shoot it. When I am driving a motor vehicle through a school zone I slow down and watch for children milling about. If I do not see any children or pedestrians, I may exceed the 20MPH speed limit. If there are children around, I may even go slower than the proscribed speed limit. I drive on the right hand side of the road in these united states of America. Not because I am afraid of “breaking” a law and getting punished. It is because to do otherwise is to risk harming someone or myself in a crash. None of this has to do with any laws. It is the common sense of being responsible. I do not wish to hurt anyone.                                                

In my younger days I partook in smoking a certain vegetation. There were government laws against it then as there are now. I “partook” anyway because that is what I wanted to do. I just took precautions to not get caught by any costumed tax feeder (i.e. law enforcement officer). I did no harm to anyone. These days I no longer “partake” not because I fear any law or consequence of “breaking”. I simply do want to smoke anything anymore, legal or otherwise.

Nobody on earth is an angel and we are all sinners to some degree. But there was a time when our parents, teachers, and other proper roll models taught us some morality and common sense while we were still young and in our formative years. There was a time when most people had a sense of right and wrong and did not feel right doing a wrong. There was a time when this was instilled in our psyche so deep that it would not even cross our minds to do certain things.

Some folks however “break the law” or run contrary to laws because they have not developed a civilized morality, they are psychotic for some reason, under medication, or perhaps steal or otherwise out of shear desperation. In any case, I doubt if they sit down and weigh the consequences of running contrary to a government-instilled law before committing an unlawful act. If laws are already being violated by some people, it is ludicrous to believe that more laws or more stringent punishment will be more of a deterrent.

Laws will not prevent immorality or evil.

“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” (Revelations 22:11, KJV Bible)

 Likewise laws should not condone or protect immoral or evil acts.

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20, KJV Bible)

“Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;”(Isaiah 10:1, KJV Bible)

More laws do not prevent people from doing what they want to do or are “compelled” to do.

“An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.” (Proverbs 29:27, KJV Bible)

Everyone runs contrary to some law every day. With the voluminous amount of local, state and federal laws on the books, it is unavoidable. My main point of this article is that we don’t need more laws. We need to regain our moralities as a nation and a people.

“Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression”. (Romans 4:15)

Here are some comments from people you may have heard of:

Martin Luther King, in his famous "Letter from the Birmingham Jail," called on all Americans to actively but peacefully oppose laws that were morally wrong. King wrote:

"There are just laws and there are unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that an unjust law is no law at all... One who breaks an unjust law must do it openly, lovingly...I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and willingly accepts the penalty by staying in jail to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the very highest respect for law."

(Martin Luther King)

Henry David Thoreau Wrote:

“Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil. It makes it worse. Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority? Why does it cry and resist before it is hurt? Why does it not encourage its citizens to be on the alert to point out its faults, and do better than it would have them?”

Thomas Jefferson Wrote

"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so."