RE: Referendum Petitions

[Debbie Gray <dgray@uidaho.edu>]

On Fri, 26 Jul 2002, Tom Hansen wrote:

----SNIP-----------
> You might have less crimnals if you have less laws,

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No, you would definitely have more lawsuits if there were less laws. Why
do you think some of these laws exist? Liability, plain and simple. You
know there would be someone out there that would sue because their child
got hit by a mack track because 'it wasn't POSTED that he couldn't play in
the street' or other such idiotic rationale which seems to spawn these
lawsuits. Eg. the guy who is suing McDonald's, Burger King and KFC because
they MADE him obese because their food had fat in it. He thought "when
they said 100 % beef they meant it, I thought the food was OK".  (in
today's Spokesman) He didn't KNOW that the fast food would make him fat.
Nobody TOLD him it would make him fat and cause heart attacks... And on
and on with the ridiculous law suits that are prevented by just such inane
laws. Why else are their warnings on plastic bags to not let your infant
play with it, not to use your hair dryer in the shower, etc...

With a law like 'nobody throwing objects in the streets' you protect the
children and drivers and you provide a way to manage it.  I've driven
through campus and had swarms of 'frisbee golf' players flinging frisbees
over my car, across the street, smashing into my car, getting indignant
looks from person throwing frisbee, etc.  BRILLIANT! And guess what, their
parents probably never specifically TOLD them that playing frisbee golf in
the street in Moscow on a Tuesday at 5pm might critically distract a
driver just long enough for something serious to happen OR perhaps cause
injury to their little bodies.

Now I can't wait to hear the outcry of why the police aren't out
patrolling back streets to enforce this 'outrageous' law because it should
be applied consistently and constantly and with no room for discretion
because that might imply legalized status inequality or toddler profiling
or hey! Let's get rid of all the laws! See how the crime rate would
plummet! Great idea! And yeah! I think it would be grand if we could all
defecate in th street! Thanks for that idea! I can't get enough of all the
dogs that leave presents for me on my lawn, now I am thrilled that it
could include PEOPLE hunching and straining for my viewing pleasure!
Because, after all, one wouldn't want to infringe on their rights! I am
desperately hoping Lucy Zoe was being sarcastic, but with the turn this
whole topic has taken I can hardly tell.

There is a thin line between chaos and order but apparently that is lost
on some people...

Debbie


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  Debbie Gray      dgray@uidaho.edu      http://www.uidaho.edu/~dgray/
  We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to
  have the life that is waiting for us." --Joseph Campbell
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